With a seemingly infinite supply of new web content to consume, it’s unsurprising that it’s harder than ever to hold the attention of the people who visit your website. Today, we’re going to look into how this can be addressed, according to relevant research into what makes effective web content.
A feast for the eyes or alphabet soup?
With decades of design experience, we understand that page layout can make or break a browsing experience. So this has a significant impact on the effectiveness of web content.
There are different opinions on exactly how people ‘read’ a webpage. Some research suggests that the eye moves across the page in a ‘Z’ shape,¹ while other studies claim it to be an ‘F’ shape.² This would suggest that the common ground between these two shapes (i.e. the very top of a webpage) should hold the most vital information.
It’s also important to leave enough space on the page for your content to breathe: uncluttered pages and shorter lines of text can help to increase readability.³
Take a scroll down memory lane
It turns out that scrolling can be linked to memory. It’s possible for an association to be built between scrolling and information, enabling a user to revisit something that they remember later on:
Printed pages give information a physical structure that readers use not only to remember where in the content a particular piece of information is located, but also to remember that information. Similarly, scrolling gives digital information a topographical quality.⁴
According to one study:
[D]imensional structures are supremely important, not just to recall where you found a particular nugget of information, but also to recall that nugget at all.⁵
This research could suggest that scrolling features can be used to anchor a user’s memory to a certain spot on the page. For example: it might be effective to pair a memorable animation with a succinct summation of your offer.
You’re a writer, whether you like it or not
Regardless of your industry, effective web content hinges on good copy:
Think of yourself as a professional writer. If you’re in business, and you’re writing anything to get results—emails, proposals, reports, you name it—then you’re a professional writer. Broadly speaking, you belong to the same club as journalists, ad agencies, and book authors.⁶
Good writing is relevant and easy to understand. It can support the perceived quality of a website—invoking and reinforcing trust. It starts with clear and engaging headlines, builds up an emotional connection with the reader—inspiring curiosity or delight, and is consolidated by a variety of details such as correct punctuation, lexical field, and tone.
Does a picture paint a thousand words?
With every webpage, there must be a careful balance of attention-grabbing content and informational content. For example, visibly bigger introductory paragraphs make it easy for your visitors to start reading.⁷ Additionally, if you are uploading long articles that require deep concentration, enabling Safari Reader (which allows you to view a webpage article in one ad-free page, formatted for readability) can help eliminate distractions.
Images can be useful tools, but too many can be distracting. One study found that all images (not just advertising images) negatively impacted reading focus.⁸ The same applies for motion animations and other visual elements that could cause a distraction or impact focus.
When striving for text optimisation, eye-grabbing visuals and animations should be used with careful consideration so as to boost positive associations and memory without negatively affecting concentration.
Building a perfect webpage for you
Broadly speaking, putting all of these ideas into practice would result in a clean, uncluttered webpage with thoughtfully placed content, and well-crafted copy. A ‘perfect’ webpage, though, will vary depending on its purpose. When designing websites for our clients, we employ a selection of relevant strategies to support each page’s purpose, and each client’s overall objectives.
If you are looking for a digital development agency that knows how to attract and hold people’s attention, contact Novagram today.
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