{"id":5071,"date":"2015-03-31T15:55:06","date_gmt":"2015-03-31T20:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/blog\/?p=5071"},"modified":"2015-03-31T15:55:06","modified_gmt":"2015-03-31T20:55:06","slug":"making-your-website-readable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/blog\/making-your-website-readable\/","title":{"rendered":"Making your website readable"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before you even pick the colors for your website or design the layout of your home page, you should understand how people read on the web. Just as the Internet has drastically changed the way people shop and communicate, it has also altered how we read.
\nOur brains respond differently when reading text on a screen compared to when we read something on paper. Reading online tends to drain us mentally<\/a>, take longer, and make what we\u2019ve read less memorable. However, when reading a well-designed website layout, people are able to focus, process, and absorb what they\u2019ve read more efficiently.
\nUnderstanding how people read online will allow you to design your site for the modern viewer more effectively, which in turn leads to better usability, engagement, and conversions. Here’s an overview of how people read content on the web:<\/p>\n

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Reading Digital Content<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Research from as early as the 1800s documents scientists\u2019 attempts to discover the common patterns of readers. Generally, when you read a paper book, your eyes tend to travel on what\u2019s called a scan path<\/a>, which involves rapid-fire scanning and pausing. On this path, the eyes follow a sentence for a few words before stopping briefly. It is in this pause that your brain processes what it\u2019s just read before continuing on. Most people don\u2019t even notice that they read like this.
\nWhen you read online content, however, your eyes follow a different scan path which forms an F-shaped pattern. This is a means of deciding\u2014in mere seconds\u2014whether to stay on a web page and read the whole thing or click away. In the F-pattern your eyes:<\/p>\n

\u00a01. Read the top portion (above the fold) horizontally<\/p>\n

2. Move down slightly and skim a new section horizontally<\/p>\n

3. Jump up to the top and then scan the left sidebar<\/p>\n

Be mindful of this modern scan path as you design your website, because when people read a badly-designed web page layout, they become frustrated\u2014and frustration does not lead to conversions. In addition, the average web surfer will only read about 60 percent of any given web page<\/a>, so this means that in order to attract and guide the audience\u2019s eye, you need to make the content on your website easily scannable. In other words, people don\u2019t read content on the web so much as they view it.<\/p>\n

User Expectations<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re building a web page, create it with user expectations in mind. Web page visitors have a certain set of preconceived notions based on prior experience that shouldn\u2019t be violated, such as:<\/p>\n