Scannability
According to Nielsen Norman Group research conducted in 1997 on how people read on the web, 79% of participants prefer scanning content before reading when approaching an unfamiliar website. Only 3% of people read text word by word.[1] Scanning helps readers understand within a few seconds whether the page is worth their attention and can provide value for them.
Scannability is the principle of arranging content in a way that allows users to scan it quickly, figure out if the page contains the information they need, and understand the main message.
So, what makes text scannable?
- Headings and subheadings
- Bulleted and numbered lists
- Short paragraphs
- Captions
- Bold and italic formatting
- Block quotes and pull quotes
References
- Concise, SCANNABLE, and Objective: How to Write for the Web | Nielsen Norman Group
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