The layout of your website:
– Everything in a single screen?
– Improve legibility
Everything in a single screen is better
Internet users more easily absorb information displayed in a single screen. If scrolling cannot be avoided, position all vital information at the top of the page. Place longer, more tedious pieces of text in lower sections.
In reality it is difficult to determine the amount of information visible without scrolling, this depends entirely on the visitor’s screen size, menus and toolbars in place, font size, etc.
The newspaper construct: above/below the fold
Only the top half of a paper is visible on the newsstand, so above the fold are
1) the logo;
2) the articles and photos that sell.
Below the fold less noticeable, but still interesting, articles and images are featured.
A construct also applicable to websites …
Improve legibility
Anything that improves legibility is welcome:
- An easy to read font
- Proper contrasting between text and background
- A solid background colour
- Clear distinctions between content and navigation elementsRemember, compared to paper, reading from a screen is more difficult.
Next blog post: the layout of your website: how NOT to do it