People often scan web pages rather than read them carefully. They look for the content that is interesting to them, take action, and move on. If your goal is to get members to read your content and act, follow these best practices for making your content scannable.
Headers and Subheaders
Your eye was likely drawn to the bold text directly above this paragraph. We see things that are bolder, larger and brighter first.
Headers and subheaders allows users to:
- See how content is structured
- Locate the information they need
- Find relevant details
Organize your content in a way that makes sense to people visiting your site. Use clear language and obvious headers to explain what’s in each section.
The proper use of headers is also key to accessibility – it allows users with screen readers to know which content is most important.
Bullet Points: Just the Facts
Break long sentences down into simpler ideas whenever possible. If you can make them into short and sweet bullet points, that’s even better.
According to eye tracking studies, bullets points align well with eye movement when scanning. Keep your content in the range of users’ eyes and they’ll be more likely to read it.
Keep Paragraphs Under four Lines
Your paragraphs should rarely be longer than four lines. If it looks overwhelming, no one will read it.
Use Buttons and Images for Visual Variety
Insert buttons, calls to action, and images throughout your content to draw your user’s attention to important points. When all of your content looks the same, a user scanning it won’t easily know what’s important.
Variety is Crucial
All of these best practices help format content that looks good, is digestible, and gives the user next steps. Using different fonts, images, bullet points, and shortened content makes content engaging. Variety in your presentation means users are more likely to read it because it isn’t overwhelming.
That being said, people need to understand how your content is organized – your page can’t be so flamboyant that it requires a lot of thought to figure out where content is located.