Most web users do not read word for word (only 16% do so) as we do with a book, a magazine or a paper newspaper. This is mainly due to the fact that on a screen we do not read at the correct distance, the typography is not very legible and we blink much less, which causes the eyes to tire much faster.
With this premise, Jackob Nielsen was one of the pioneers in studying users’ web reading behavior, and in 1997 he published a study called “How Users Read on the Web.”
From this study we know such important aspects as that 79% of users, instead of reading, scan the information, looking for words or phrases that respond to what they are looking for, reading on average only 28% of the text on the screen. And once they find what they are looking for, they read, of course.
Also, when they read, they follow the F-shaped pattern, when they click on the golden triangle or that they dedicate their attention almost exclusively to the visible area of the web (visible without scrolling).
To facilitate the processing of information, it should be displayed in a clear visual hierarchy to guide the user’s eye to the information he/she needs.
In addition, to write effectively for these users, Nielsen and other more modern authors recommend the following guidelines.
20 tips to write effectively for the web
- One idea per paragraph, users will jump around looking for additional ideas if the first few words of the paragraph do not capture their attention.
- Highlighted keywords, for example, by means of typographic variations (bold typeface). Highlight the main idea of each paragraph in bold type.
- Use lists, numbered or unnumbered.
- Inverted pyramid style, the conclusion and the most relevant information should be at the top of each page.
- Use half as many words (or less) as in conventional writing. If necessary for the mobile version, a separate content should be made in which only the necessary information is shown and all superfluous content is eliminated.
- Use direct, simple and concise language.
- Avoid metaphors or complicated language, which forces you to read word for word.
- Use the active voice instead of the passive voice.
- The text on the page must always be independent and self-explanatory. We never know where the user is accessing from.
- Do not use italicized text or all CAPITALIZED text as it is more difficult to read.
- We should not put too much text on the home page. Many users when they go to the home page scan quickly looking for links to the information they are looking for. A large amount of text on the home page will slow down their search or make them jump to another site.
- Avoid using the underline for anything other than a link.
- The links that appear in the body of the text must be descriptive. It is better to add a few words than to have a link that is not clear.
- Display information in a standard and easy-to-understand format, avoiding “technicalities”.
- Use tables, graphs or other visual formats to display statistical data.
- The first thing users see, read and pay attention to are the images followed by the titles and subtitles. So we must make use of them to establish the visual hierarchy.
- For long pages of information, it is often useful to provide a table of contents at the top to facilitate access to the different parts of the page.
- Page length, for first level pages (home and section entry pages) should be shorter and the interior pages where the complete information is already offered, should be longer.
- Alignment principle, a regular alignment of the page elements will facilitate reading and make it much easier to scan the information.
- Meaningful subheadings that accurately summarize the text they head.
