A readable website is important. If your site doesn’t read well, it can put strain on those trying to read your content. This is the last thing you want to do, as it can be harder to read if you don’t use the right design elements.
When you start a new WordPress website or any other type of website, there are many things to consider. After you get the best possible hosting from FatCow, you want to create a site people will enjoy reading. Here are a few tips to help you make your website readable.
Readable Website
Compared to how we read a book, a newspaper or a magazine, online content is very different. We don’t read in the same way. We still use a form of scanning to read, but the pattern is different.
When somebody reads online content, they start with the top portion or the above the fold portion. After that, they will skim the content by moving down slightly and they may jump up to the top to read the left sidebar. This is the most common pattern and many online readers will get frustrated if your content reads poorly.
Ways to Make your Website Readable
There are several things you can do to create a more readable website. Some of the things you want to do include:
Create an About Us Page- Create a Contact Us Page
- Use your Company Logo
- Keep Auto-play videos off your Site
- Provide easy Navigational Tools
- Add a Site Map
After you add these elements into your website, you will want to make sure all blog posts and written content are set up for the easiest possible reading experience. Some of the elements you should include with your actual content are:
- Bullet Points and Lists
- Short Paragraphs
- Highlighted Keywords and Links
- Good Subheadings
- Images
If you create a large block of text and you don’t break it up with these elements, it looks very difficult to read. This can take a wonderfully written, 500-word blog post and make it look like it will take an hour to read.
Using shorter paragraphs, bullet points, sub headings and images helps to break the content up and makes it look far easier to read. It also makes it scannable, which is a huge part of making your website readable.
Choose the Right Colors
Nearly half the people that will come to your website will judge it based on the colors you use. You should never use more than four colors and the most popular colors to use are blue, orange and green. You should also know that when you use red, it will create a sense of urgency, while blue fosters trust and orange encourages action.
Don’t choose a colored background for the text portion of your website, either. It’s best to stick with a white or a very light background and use black text. If you choose a lighter colored text on a dark background you will make it harder to read your content.
These are just a few of the ways you can make your website more readable. You need to consider all the different elements and don’t just focus on making your site look great. Make sure it’s also very easy to read.
