Improve website readability
Improve website readability
1. Use a font size of at least 14px or 16px to make body text easier to see.
2. Leave more space between your lines of text by using a line height of 24px.
3. Increase the contrast between your text and the background color.
For example, very dark gray text on a near-white background.
4. Create a small reading space by keeping your text columns narrow.
Think of reading a newspaper or magazine – narrow columns means short lines of text, which makes it easier for your audience to digest.
5. Use bolded, large font sub-headlines every 2 paragraphs to break up the pattern of your text body.
The goal of subheadings is to pass on key points of content, since 79% of people don’t read online, they skim.
6. Create lists by using bullet points, breaking apart large amounts of text into pieces that are easier to understand.
For example, having a list like IBM Lenovo T61, Intel Core2Duo 2Ghz, 1.5 GB DDR2, 80GB 5400rpm, cd-rw/dvd combo, 14″ WXGA+ (1440×900), 2 kg, $299.00 makes it nearly impossible for the reader to get the information quickly and easily. This would be presented more efficiently in bullet points.
7. Use images and graphics to take advantage of the visual wiring in our brain.
People typically absorb the information in visuals much faster than text.
8. Use short sentences as much as possible, and vary the sentence length overall.
Shorter sentences are easier to read, while variation helps to maintain a reader’s engagement. For example, the sentence, A career that is spent primarily in the back office for troubleshooting for the benefit of the department can be detrimental to your advancement is complicated to read, and should be broken up into shorter sentences.
9. Create a new paragraph every 3 to 4 lines, and include an empty space between paragraphs.
Smaller blocks of text are easier for your audience to digest, and are less intimidating than a big wall of text.