The Secret to Website Readability

The success of a website hinges on may factors. One that is often overlooked in favor of graphics and color choices is the readability of the site. Long paragraphs of text will scare potential visitors away faster than a “closed” sign.

In order to ensure your site’s text is bringing customers in, not shooing them away, follow these three tips:

Use Columns of Type

Think of a newspaper. Your eye doesn’t sweep across the entire paper from left to right. You read in columns. It helps focus your attention and gather the information. It’s easier for the eye to follow and won’t overwhelm visitors when they first venture onto your page. Instead, it will invite them to stay awhile.

Use Large Font

Most websites use font that is just too small.  A lot of people reading the web are thankful when they come across a site who has that perfect font size. Not too big, not too small, it’s like the Goldilocks of website design.

Use of White Space

White space allows visitors to skim your text, which is how the world reads the web. With Twitter, texting, and short blog posts, most visitors aren’t used to reading large blocks of text on a website. So don’t ask them to. Use short paragraphs, headlines and subheads, and bullet points to break up the text and give the eye somewhere to go.

Don’t let this important part of designing your website fall through the cracks. When looking at your site, see if it passes the readability test.