Best Practices: Online Reading

Many studies have been done about reading context.  These studies range from very academic explorations of how we read (Proust and the Squid by Maryanne Wolfe and Reading in the Brain by Stanislas Dehaene) to research that explores our online reading habits (the Poynter Institute's studies and Chartbeat, a data analysis group specializing in online reading and engagement).  These studies offer interesting insights into how we can create effective online content.  

On-screen reading is slower than reading on paper.  It takes more effort and energy.  As a result, most users scan, see if the page has what they need, and then are gone.  There are ways to effectively create content that will engage your users (if that is your goal) and keep them reading or to get your users where they need to go (possibly to the best database for their research needs).

Line length impacts online reading tremendously.  Use the "Top Box" sparingly and for specific types of content. The width will make the content more difficult for your users to scan and read.          

Eyetracking studies show that online readers scan in an "F Pattern" when looking at web content.  They also indicate that unless an image is illustrating something, such as the product image that is on the middle example below, users tend to skip over it.  The Poynter Institute has found that consistently in online eyetracking studies of how people read news, in direct opposition to readers of print news who pay more attention to the images and look at those first.

Create content to take advantage of the pattern. Put your most important content at the top left (users will look for it below the page navigation and branding) and make the remaining content easy to scan.