Monday, February 27, 2006

How Do People Actually Use Websites?

Research by Jakob Nielsen* shows how people actually use websites. People need to keep these points in mind when creating them:

· 80% of web users only scan pages.

· Only 10% scroll past the first page.

· We ignore fluff – promos, mission statements, etc.

· Large fonts, bold and color catch the person’s attention.

· Hyperlinks and meta tags get picked up by search engines, raising the ranking. To sink in, messages need to be consistent. People remember keywords.

· Users lock onto headlines, graphics, captions, summaries, bullets. They ignore written text.

· Even bullets have their limits: 9 to be exact.

When using a web site, note how you use it.

For help with website, blog and enews alert creation, copy and maintenance and updates, check out our website at
www.dellrichards.com and use our online form.

* Info on Jakob Nielsen’s research is at www.useit.com.