Title pages generally act as introductions for your Content pages (where your main content lives) and allow you to divide your Turtl Doc into chapters.
This allows your readers to move easily between the topics in your Turtl Doc before deciding when and where to delve down into more granular content via a simple click.
The Cover page
The first Title page of your content acts as your front cover and is the first page your audience will see, so it's all about grabbing attention in a moment. Follow these simple tips to help create a great cover and get those all-important readers.
Content pages on the Cover page?
Unless you're using Linear navigation, where Content pages follow to the right of the Cover page, we do not recommend having Content pages after the Cover page.
The aim of the Cover page is to signpost the reader to click through to the next Title page. Keeping the navigation options simple here is key and not using the Content pages section avoids any confusion.
You can disable the Content pages in the "Navigation settings" screen, which you can access via Chapter settings from within the Editor.
Choose a title that describes your content in a nutshell
Your audience is bombarded with content everywhere they look, so keeping your cover copy short and sweet is ideal. It's best to choose a title that allows the reader to identify the subject of your content straight away without needing to read lots of text. Once you have your title, challenge yourself to see if you can cut out any words or be more accurate.
Use a great image/video
The cover is the time to make the best first impression. Make sure that your image/video works well with your Cover page style and headline - you don't want your headline text to obscure a key part of your video or image. It's also important to ensure you're using a high-quality image/video here.
Use a Cover page style
As part of your branding, you may have a Cover page style that you should use just for the Cover pages of your content. This helps to make your content look consistent and is usually templated to make the cover look as eye-catching as possible. If you don't have a specific cover page style, choose a style from the drop-down menu that makes the headline stand out as much as possible so that it can be read at a glance.
Title pages
Take a look at the tips below for the rest of your Title pages. They still apply to your Cover page - and most importantly, don't forget to check how your cover looks on mobile view.
It's really important to make your Title pages look as good as possible to encourage the reader to click into the Content pages and dive into the Chapter content.
Images
The image is the first thing your reader will engage with and can be the deciding factor as to whether your Title page is successful or not. This image should be:
Eye-catching
Relevant (but not necessarily literal)
High resolution (this is so important; blurred, low-res images make your content look less appealing)
If you don't already have an image, Turtl is integrated with a free stock images website. This allows you to easily search for quality images without leaving the Turtl editor.Read more about adding images and image-related tips.
Note: We recommend only using videos on the Cover page as multiple videos across Title pages can affect the loading time of your content.
Headings
Your headings need to persuade your reader to click on the content.
They need to be:
Descriptive, catchy, and to the point.
As short as possible - particularly the main heading. This allows the reader to flip through the Title pages and easily select the chapter where they want to read more.
Style
Choose a heading style and position that:
Works with your amount of text - for example, choose a style that has a small subheading font if you need to put more information on the Title page.
Works with your image - for example, it's best not to obscure the only feature within the image with the heading text box.
Within a Doc, choose one Title page style and stick with it – try not to mix Banner, Inset, Clear, etc.
Check the mobile preview
Check how your Title page will look to your mobile readers by selecting the mobile preview at the top of the Editor.
SEO
Don't forget to make sure your Turtl Doc is Search Engine Optimized (SEO). Find out more about SEO.