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Reading on the Web (Alertbox)

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  • elearningresources

    eLearningResources

    7 members,8 bookmarks

    Group dedicated to sharing knowledge and resource information for all things learning and eLearning

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Saved by 71 people (15 private), first by anonymouse user on 2006-07-04


Public Comment

on 2006-09-26 by berthelemy

Useful for training learning designers

on 2006-11-13 by rhonin

People rarely read Web pages word by word; instead, they scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences.

on 2007-01-08 by edgincvg

People rarely read Web pages word by word; instead, they scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences. In research on how people read websites we found that 79 percent of our test users always scanned any new page they came across; only 16 pe

Public Sticky notes

How Users Read on the Web

Highlighted by eransun

Web pages have to employ scannable text, using

  • highlighted keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others)
  • meaningful sub-headings (not "clever" ones)
  • bulleted lists
  • one idea per paragraph (users will skip over any additional ideas if they are not caught by the first few words in the paragraph)
  • the inverted pyramid style, starting with the conclusion
  • half the word count (or less) than conventional writing

Highlighted by komo83

We found that credibility is important for Web users, since it is unclear who is behind information on the Web and whether a page can be trusted. Credibility can be increased by high-quality graphics, good writing, and use of outbound hypertext links. Links to other sites show that the authors have done their homework and are not afraid to let readers visit other sites.

Highlighted by komo83

promotional language imposes a cognitive burden on users who have to spend resources on filtering out the hyperbole to get at the facts. When people read a paragraph that starts "Nebraska is filled with internationally recognized attractions," their first reaction is no, it's not, and this thought slows them down and distracts them from using the site.

Highlighted by komo83

Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox for October 1, 1997:

How Users Read on the Web

They don't.

People rarely read Web pages word by word; instead, they scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences. In research on how people read websites we found that 79 percent of our test users always scanned any new page they came across; only 16 percent read word-by-word. (Update: a newer study found that users read email newsletters even more abruptly than they read websites.)

As a result, Web pages have to employ scannable text, using

  • highlighted keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others)
  • meaningful sub-headings (not "clever" ones)
  • bulleted lists
  • one idea per paragraph (users will skip over any additional ideas if they are not caught by the first few words in the paragraph)
  • the inverted pyramid style, starting with the conclusion
  • half the word count (or less) than conventional writing

Highlighted by ibancorp

How Users Read on the Web

Highlighted by thayoost

How Users Read on the Web

They don't.

People rarely read Web pages word by word; instead, they scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences.

Highlighted by eyalnow

  • highlighted keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others)
  • meaningful sub-headings (not "clever" ones)
  • bulleted lists
  • one idea per paragraph (users will skip over any additional ideas if they are not caught by the first few words in the paragraph)
  • the inverted pyramid style, starting with the conclusion
  • half the word count (or less) than conventional writing

    • Highlighted by danylo_kubai

    As a result, Web pages have to employ scannable text, using

    • highlighted keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others)
    • meaningful sub-headings (not "clever" ones)
    • bulleted lists
    • one idea per paragraph (users will skip over any additional ideas if they are not caught by the first few words in the paragraph)
    • the inverted pyramid style, starting with the conclusion
    • half the word count (or less) than conventional writing

    Highlighted by eyalnow

    We found that credibility is important for Web users, since it is unclear who is behind information on the Web and whether a page can be trusted. Credibility can be increased by high-quality graphics, good writing, and use of outbound hypertext links. Links to other sites show that the authors have done their homework and are not afraid to let readers visit other sites.

    Highlighted by eyalnow

    promotional language imposes a cognitive burden

    Highlighted by nclemens

    promotional language imposes a cognitive burden on users who have to spend resources on filtering out the hyperbole to get at the facts.

    Highlighted by eyalnow