Is Your Website Readable? 3 Tips

Reading on the Web is difficult. Computer monitors have low screen resolution, and their projected light quickly makes our eyes tired. At most, your prospects read 28% of the words on your Web page. So you need to make every word count.

A good first step: Cut your copy in half, and then cut it in half again. Your readers will love you.

Three other quick tips to improve the readability of your website:

1. Use clear, direct and conversational language. Avoid the exaggerated, boastful text you see in bad advertisements (e.g., "Hot New Product!"). Instead, provide useful, specific information.

* Keep paragraphs short, and limit yourself to one idea per paragraph.

* Use bullet lists, especially when describing product or solution features.

* Use the inverted-pyramid style of writing, placing your most important information at the top.

2. Organize your content in clear sections. Sub-headers help your reader divide pages into manageable sections and quickly determine what each section is about. Limit the main body of your Web page to three styles: page title, sub-header and body copy. Make the contrast between the styles clear.

When writing, make sure sub-headers condense the point of the text they represent to a handful of words, and don't assume the user has fully read the section above or below.

3. Use negative space. Leave enough space between lines of text and blocks of copy. Doing so improves reading speed and comprehension.

By improving the readability and presentation of your Web copy, your prospect can make the most of the time he or she spends on your site — and make the experience a whole lot easier.