Do people read differently on the web?

As a copywriter, it’s always vital that you understand your target audience. However, as a writer of web copy, it’s even more important for you understand your reader and their distinct habits.

Web Usability

There has been a huge amount of research into the way we read on the web. Dr Jakob Nielson pioneered the idea of web usability and has been conducting surveys since 1994 to assess the way we read and digest information online. His research resulted in many important discoveries, which have had a major impact on web copywriting. His discoveries were:

People scan web pages – they don’t read them. Nielson realised that while 79% of web users scan pages, just 16% of them read every word. He noticed many Internet users were so keen to swiftly obtain information that they would merely scan the first sentence of a paragraph.

Internet users prefer copy to be short and concise, as research shows that they limit their reading to short paragraphs. This means that the longer your copy is, the less likely the web reader is to read it.

Signposting copy helps your readers. Using bold headlines, useful summaries and insightful sub-heads captures the attention of your reader, allowing them to quickly consume the information they need.

Internet users can be hasty and dislike waiting. Don’t be tempted to use too many images in your copy, which can delay an article loading.

Negative Experiences

Reading information on the web can be an unpleasant experience for many Internet users. They tend to read 25% slower from a monitor than they would in print, which makes reading online a time-consuming activity. Using computer monitors for lengthy periods of time can also have an impact on your reader’s health, causing strained eyes, fatigue and other symptoms.

Understanding your Reader

Because reading web copy can be such an unpleasant experience for many of your readers, it’s essential that you make the user experience as friendly as possible. By taking the time to read Nielson’s findings on web copy, you’ll be able to better understand your reader and ultimately, produce some great copy that corresponds to their needs.