Almost 30 years ago, Jakob Nielsen's seminal study showed that people don’t “read” websites — they scan them. Only 16% of their participants actually read content word by word.
That doesn’t mean words don’t matter. It means the presentation of the words matters more.
People scan for what they need, but how they scan depends on the type of page they’re on. We’ll break down the following:
- Content pages for hunting
- Homepages for orientation
- Product/Landing pages for decisions
Content Pages/Hunting Mode
The traditional concept of the F-pattern of scanning a page explains that users scan a page by moving their eyes across the top, down the left side, and engage in another horizontal move when something triggers interest.
When a web page is unstructured and the user is lacking in clues, they generally default to the F-pattern.
Your goal is to guide their scan. Do it with:
- Headings
- Bullets
- Pull quotes
- Visual aids
Homepages/Orientation Mode
Remember, people don’t read, they sample.
If you don’t grab their attention fast, they’re gone. In fact, you generally have 15 seconds or so before the average user leaves.
Think about what grabs attention on a website’s home page:
- Logo/Tagline
- Navigation menus
- Visuals
- Statistics
- CTAs
- Actual text
Clarity, concision, and a strong hook are key.
Product Pages/Decision Mode
This is where the deal is made or lost. A user reaches a product page by:
- Finding an article in search
- Scanning the content
- Clicking a CTA
- Landing on your product page
Or:
- Searching for a solution to a problem
- Landing on your product page
These scenarios have one thing in common: A customer walked into your store.
And they have one thing that’s different: Purchase intent. Scenario one has no explicit intent, while scenario two has pure intent.
However, their behavior is the same. They will want to either validate and act or leave. They will scan for:
- Value proposition
- Price
- Reviews or customer logos
- CTA button
This implies that the structure of landing pages is almost more important than the content. Keeping things clear, separated, and easy to act on is key.
Conclusion
Most people don’t read your content. They scan. So write for scanners, and let readers read.
