#003 - The case against PDFs as web content
PDF wisely friends.
The PDF file format was created in 1993. It was created as a print format.
This means, PDFs are,
Sized for paper, not screens.
More likely to use a mix of columns, shapes and images.
Not made for presenting connected (linked) content.
This poses a bunch of accessibility and readability issues when PDFs are used to house core information on websites.
Note: I’m mostly referring to situations where PDFs are used online to extend, or in place of, website content. I originally published this content on my Instagram, and then in an email newsletter 2 years ago, and was met with many variations of “but what about this very specific use of PDFs in this very specific use case on my specific website?”
So here’s the caveat. I’m not talking about delivering final files, sending press releases, invoices, or anything else you don’t want altered. Sometimes things evolve for use beyond that was intended. I get it.
Steps in a journey
Holding information in a PDF, rather than in context on the page, increases the number of steps to access that information.
Yes, it’s just a click and a wait. But when you’re dealing with a time-poor audience (which, let’s face it, most people are) it creates a barrier between your audience and the content you’d like to serve them.
Data and access
Many of us think of accessibility in terms of disability and access, but forget how data and service also change access needs.
PDFs need to be downloaded. If you do not have adequate service or data (Hi regional Australia! Hello teens, low income owners and other cool cats using prepaid plans! Hi black spots!) you will not be able to easily access the content.
Mobile viewing
I’ve already mentioned how PDFs are sized for paper not screens. Have you tried to read a PDF on mobile? You know, one with multiple columns? So you have to zoom in and read part of the page then use gestures to get to the next bit? Yeah, it’s not the worst experience (if you can use touch navigation. If you’re not using a screen reader) but it's not the best.
Navigation and connection
Links allow us to follow interconnected trails of ideas (think of how you might use Wikipedia to jump from one concept to another, or IMBD). The internet, as a result, is mostly a ‘non linear’ experience.
By comparison, PDFs are mostly ‘linear’. It’s less easy to follow links between PDFs and other locations within the one window or Application, and you don’t have the benefit of a menu, return button or breadcrumb* to get you on track.
*the little trail of text that sometimes appears toward the top of web pages to show your path, for example Teams > Autobots > Optimus Prime
Search
You’ve put huge amounts of effort into creating amazing content for your PDF. But, unlike the rest of your web content, it’s not as easily searchable as web-based content. Yes, Google can crawl and index PDFs. But Google also prioritises results based on what most people read.
You spend time, money and energy creating great content. You want it to work as hard as it can for you.
If that extra special content you’ve created is living in a PDF and not on a webpage, in my opinion, it can’t do that for you.
As I learned while reading ‘PDF: Still Unfit for Human Consumption, 20 Years Later’, people have been dragging on PDFs since 1996. So why do we keep using them?
It's ‘higher value’ content and therefore needs a nice design
We are all suffering the same hangover. The ‘print content is more valuable than web content’ hangover.
Yep, hiring a designer and printing a stack of flyers costs money. You know what else costs money? Building, housing, promoting and creating content for your website. We all need to reconsider what types of content are most valuable to our businesses. The answer won’t be the same for each of us.
They’re easier to update
Remember when only big companies with lots of dollars had websites? Or when you actually had to know a coding language to make an update? When these things were true it was much much easier to update a PDF than a web page.
But these things are no longer true. Most solopreneurs and in-house marketing teams know how to make changes to their website on the fly. Changes that are probably faster than updating, saving and switching out a PDF.
We already have them
This one I get. You’ve already invested in creating great guides, cheatsheets and what not, why would you duplicate the content and the cost? If the information is important enough to pay a designer to make 'pretty', it’s probably important enough to sit on a web page. We need to consider this as making our investment go further, not doing work over or disregarding the work that has already been done.
It’s a habit
Really, all of these could have said, ‘because we’ve always done it that way’.
9 out of 10 times if I ask someone why they decided that the content should live in a PDF and not on a webpage the answer is ‘oh, I don’t know. That’s how I thought people did it’. The web has evolved so much since the 90s, but some habits are hard to kick. My service provider pals, Service Guides often fall under this category. If you already have the content to describe your services, why is it not on your website? On the flip side, if you have it on your website, do you really need the PDF? (Maybe).
Sarah, stop being mean, can I ever use PDFs again?
On your website? Sure. When you want people to hit print.
I’ve seen PDFs used in some great ways online,
At the end of a long article explaining why a customer should use a certain type of software.
Print this to show your colleagues.
As gated content on a holiday package page (get leads AND help them at the same time).
Print the brochure.
On a sales page for a conference.
Print ‘Why you should attend’ and show your boss.
Alongside a digital price list (think beauty salon or restaurant menu).
Print our price list for later.
These cases have some things in common,
There is likely going to be more than one person making a decision on the service / holiday / event and this makes it easy for the users to get the right details to the right person.
They will need that exact information later (printed pages change less frequently than websites) or when they're offline.
The PDFs are not used to expand on, or instead of, website content. They are duplicate content.
PDF wisely.