Put the hot stuff up top with the 1-2-3-4 test
Web visitors spend 74% of their time on the first two screens, just 26% on all remaining screens, according to the Nielsen Norman Group
So don’t blow your top.… Read the full article
Online communications
What’s the difference between reading paper vs. computer screen
Reading online hurts readers’ eyes, their bodies, their brains
I don’t know about you, but one of my goals in life is to never write anything that makes my readers throw up, resign or forget where they parked their car.… Read the full article
Reading on screen vs. paper: eyes
Is your web page causing computer vision syndrome?
Reading on the screen is hard for a simple reason: Our eyes weren’t made to stare at little beige boxes all day.… Read the full article
How reading from screen vs. paper affects your brain
People find it difficult to concentrate online
Most Americans spend at least 8.5 hours a day looking at a screen, whether a TV set, computer monitor or mobile device, according to a study by Ball State University.… Read the full article
Reading online hurts your web visitors’ bodies
Screen reading causes insomnia, backache — even serious illness
Yes, reading that blog post does make your butt look bigger. But mushy thighs are just one of the symptoms of screen reading.… Read the full article
World technology literacy skills: bad and getting worse
16% of adults are technologically illiterate
Just 8% of adults around the world can manage conflicting requests to reserve a meeting room using a reservation system, then email people to let them know whether they got the room they requested.… Read the full article
What are the problems with reading on mobile devices?
Mobile reading costs time, attention, understanding and action
You may have heard that social scientists recently added a new item on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
The classic model of what drives human nature looked like this back in the day:
- Self actualization: the feeling of doing what you were put on this planet to do
- Esteem: feeling good about yourself and what you do
- Social needs: having love, a tribe, companionship
- Safety and security: not being afraid of getting eaten by a tiger
- Physiological needs: food and shelter
Our modern world has revealed another, even more basic human need …
… Wi-Fi.… Read the full article
Steal tricks from the world’s best online headlines
BBC’s heads are short, clear, front-loaded and context-free
Who writes the world’s best web heads?
The folks at BBC News, according to usability expert Jakob Nielsen.… Read the full article
Format long stories for mobile web page readability
4 ways to optimize long stories for phone reading
How long is too long for the mobile screen?
“Only the biggest/most complex stories should go above 600 words,” counsels the BBC in its guide to writing news for the mobile screen.… Read the full article
Stop wasting web visitors’ time with puffery
Web visitors ‘get visibly angry’ at verbose sites
Here’s an interesting dichotomy: Killing time is the killer app for mobile devices. But mobile users are in a hurry and “get visibly angry” at verbose sites that waste their time.… Read the full article