::News You Can Use:: Thou Shall Know Thy VisitorsIt's always a good idea to learn as much as you can about your visitors. Today, find out more on the way people "read" on the Web!
:: On the Web, your visitors don't always behave as you would expect for the two following reasons:
The next website is always just a click awayContrary to magazines, newspapers or any other printed documents, websites can't rely on - relatively - captive readers.
Your business or institution's website has to compete all the time with the rest of the World Wide Web, the websites from not only your competitors, but also news organizations, entertainment outlets or service providers.
For your Web visitors, it is very easy and often tempting to hop from one website to another.
Because other websites are always just a click away, keep in mind that you need to provide your visitors with a compelling reason to read your content and a reason to return at a future time.
Computer screens were not designed as reading devices
Reading on a computer screen can be difficult and strenuous, which is probably why most people don't read on the Web.
This doesn't mean you should stop writing anything altogether. On the Web, people don't read, but they scan your content.
According to a study conducted by Jakob Nielsen, the well-known usability expert, "79 percent of the test users always scanned any new page they came across; only 16 percent read word-by-word."
Because most people scan web pages, keep in mind that you need to structure and format your content so it makes the whole process easier.
Published: 2004-10-12
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