Why Going HTML Over PDF is Worth It

Traditionally PDFs have been great. They’re easy to make and have near global compatibility with anyone’s computer. In the end, HTML wins over PDFs for usability and accessibility. Here’s why…

Roughly 60% of web content is now viewed through mobile browsers. This brings two immediate problems:

Mobility Issues

• PDFs don’t change size to fit a browser
• Navigation and orientation: PDFs mimic a standard size sheet of paper. They don’t change size to fit a browser which is critical on a small screen. This affects navigation and orientation. Many users might feel frustrated when opening a PDF. They often have to pinch and scroll through it. Keep in mind that 60% of all content is viewed on mobile browsers.

• Broken links: Updating a PDF and changing its file name breaks the link. This usually happens since PDFs don’t get updated often. Sometimes PDFs can be impossible to update. You can update HTML easily. So, it’s more “usable” for content providers.
• Search: PDFs are simply harder to search than HTML pages.

Accessibility

PDFs can be hard to access. They often don't meet open standards. HTML pages do comply with open standards. Anyone with a current web browser can view them. No extra software is needed.

Changes to Make to Your Website

Use Acquia Optimize to pull an inventory of all your PDFs. If you have a PDF that is one or two pages - create HTML pages for this information. Agencies used PDFs for board agendas, minutes, and one-page brochures.

Make those HTML documents. Discuss with the support team about making a content type for info you use often, like agendas or minutes. Also, unpublish any old or rarely used PDFs.

Need more convincing? Read this blog article by the British government about HTML versus PDF.