79% of Web Users Scan Pages Instead of Reading Them
In Nielsen Norman Group’s study of how people read online, 79% of test users always scanned any new page they came to. Only 16% read word by word (Nielsen Norman Group, 1997). Most people who visit your website are hunting for the parts that matter to them and skipping the rest.
What the research observed
Scanning was the default behavior, not an exception. Most users did not read pages from start to finish. They looked for the parts that matched what they wanted and skipped the rest.
Later eye-tracking work from the same group describes several scanning patterns and looks at the people who do read closely. Those careful readers tend to be highly motivated, and the researchers advise against counting on that behavior from most visitors (Nielsen Norman Group, 2017).
The reason is practical. A visitor usually arrives with a question, such as whether you serve their area or what a service costs. Scanning is the fastest way to find out whether the page answers it.
What it means for a business website
Many small business sites are written like a brochure: several long paragraphs that make sense when read in order. That format serves the 16% who read every word and makes the other 79% work to find anything.
Writing for scanners does not hurt careful readers. A page with clear headings and short sections is still easy to read top to bottom. The reverse is not true: a page of dense paragraphs is hard to scan.
What to do
- Break long paragraphs into short ones with one idea each.
- Add subheadings that say what each section covers, so a scanner can jump to the right part.
- Use bulleted lists for services, steps, and what is included.
- Bold the terms visitors look for, such as service names, prices, and service areas.
Sources
- Nielsen. How Users Read on the Web. Nielsen Norman Group, 1997.
- Pernice. F-Shaped Pattern of Reading: Misunderstood, But Still Relevant. Nielsen Norman Group, 2017.