So you want to create the perfect website, a website that says all the right things and has that information placed in the perfect spot?
A recent study tried to do just that by utilizing state-of-the-art eye-tracking technology. This study used a combination of complex hardware and data analysis to map a viewer’s eye movements across the computer screen to determine the amount of mental strain exerted at any given moment while viewing various website home pages.
The findings of this study are very revealing and should help you create a more effective home page. Remember that these findings are specific to a website’s home page and not the interior pages.
The findings:
– A very small percentage of the subjects scrolled down to see what was being offered below the browser’s bottom border. Clearly, home pages are viewed as portals to get where the visitor wants to go. They should not be lengthy destination pages.
– Web visitors mostly look to the upper middle section of the home page first. Putting your navigation tools there allows visitors to get where they want to go faster. Over 20% of the visitor’s attention was focused in this area.
– Clean, uncluttered sites produced higher success rates. Users didn’t have to filter through as much unnecessary information.
– Buttons or icons with one- to three-word descriptions were used most. Wordy button labels were used least.
So before you design your new website, or redesign your existing site, keep these findings in mind. Just like any other visual medium, you need to know the flow pattern of your viewer’s eye. Don’t make them work to get the information they need. If you need help making your website, or other marketing programs, more effective, just give us a call.
Until next month…
