Over the years, we've heard a lot of opinions on this topic.Some webmasters formed opinions through studying log files andconducting online surveys. Others relied on personal preference.
However, thanks to Stanford University and the PoynterInstitute, we now have some concrete research to use in our quest todesign the most effective sites. The Stanford Poynter Project shedslight on how site visitors spend their time.
Some will find the results surprizing. Others will have theiropinions confirmed. The four-year study demonstrated that our onlinereading patterns are the precise opposite of our reading patterns whenwe read newspapers or magazines.
When we read print newspapers, we read at the breakfast table,in the coffee shop or on the subway. We browse -- a headline here, apicture there. We look at the pictures first, then read the text if itinterests us. People who layout print publications know this, and theydesign accordingly.
Many concluded that the same patterns would apply on the web. But it's not so. We do the exact opposite.
Surfing isn't a casual activity that we do comfortably whilewaiting for the bus. It's something we do sitting in a chair staring ata monitor that isn't friendly to the eyes. Moreover, we're likely to bedistracted by telephone calls, incoming email and co-workers in thenext cubicle.
Online, we need to get the information as quickly as possible.We head straight for the text. The study found that surfers look firstat article text (92% of the time) and briefs (82% of the time), andthirdly at photos. We read 70% of the article, as compared to the 30%we're likely to read from a magazine or newspaper. Then, when we'refinished with the text, about 22% of us glance at the web site'spictures.
Banner ads and photographs attract more attention than artwork.
Oddly, the study also showed that although only 22% of sitevisitors glance at pictures, 45% check out banner ads for approximatelyone and one quarter second.
Other miscellaneous findings from the study:
1. Sports readers read more content than any other typeof reader. Males and females read sports in equal numbers, but 11% ofmales read heavily compared to 0% of the females.
2. Thirty-year olds read more local content than twenty year olds or sixty year olds.
3. Females read more local content than males.
4. Twenty-year olds read more science and sports than other age groups.
5. When reading online, we read serially. That is, we jump back and forth among sites, returning to the ones that interest us.
So what conclusions can we make from the Stanford Poyntner Project?
First, we must consider that these researchers studied theonline behavior of a small group of Americans who routinely access newsweb sites. More research is needed to determine whether the resultswill generalize to international readers, or to users of ecommerce websites.
Critics of the research argue that the results are lesssignificant when applied to people who are accessing the web with highbandwidth connections. However, although high bandwidth is making gainsin North America, many people, both in North America and in other partsof the globe, are using dialup connections or are accessing the webwith wireless devises.
That being said, the following conclusions seem logical:
- Text is important. It's words that hold the attention. Give visitors the information they need, and present it well.
- Use eye-catching headlines and sub-headlines. Remember, over 90% of your visitors glance here first.
- Although few click on the banner ads, the one-second glance will generate an impression that can help with branding.
- One second doesn't allow time for visitors to view rotatinganimations in banner ads. It's better to put the full message,including your logo, in each frame of the animation.
- Pictures are still important, but use sparingly. Picturesand animations that distract the viewer from reading the text arecounter-productive.
- You'll find the Standford Poynter Project at this link:
http://www.poynter.org/eyetrack2000/index.htm
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