Agenda

This presentation provides research findings on how people interact with web content. The key points are as follows:

  • People seldom read web pages word by word. Instead, they scan pages and select individual words and sentences. Their research found that 79% of test users scanned the page when encountering a new page, and only 16% read word by word.
  • To accommodate such behavior, web pages should use scannable text. This includes highlighted keywords, meaningful subheadings, bullet lists, one idea per paragraph, inverted pyramid style (starting with the conclusion), and reducing the word count by half (or less) compared to traditional writing.
  • Credibility is essential to web users. High-quality graphics, good writing, and the use of external hyperlinks can enhance credibility.
  • Users dislike “marketing speak” that makes boastful and subjective claims. They prefer direct facts, and if a site is perceived as exaggerating, it diminishes its credibility.
  • Researchers created five versions of the same website with different writing styles to test the effectiveness of improved web writing. They found that the concise version (58% improvement) and scannable version (47% improvement) had significantly higher usability. Combining the three improved writing styles on one site resulted in a 124% improvement in usability.
  • They also found that promotional language places a cognitive burden on users, requiring them to filter out exaggerations to obtain the facts. This slows them down and hinders their use of the site.

(References to two sources provided)

Reflection

If we assume that the way people consume content is not significantly different between apps and the web, the above research findings can be applied to apps as well. Ultimately, it is crucial to pursue designs that are easy to consume, labeled as “Scannable” and “Readable.” This includes not only the keywords and images used in the content but also the design of the views that contain the content. Patterned designs increase familiarity and predictability for users, thereby improving readability.

The issue of artificial content creating a cognitive burden is mentioned. This is a common problem in most advertisements, and efforts to naturally incorporate content are necessary to address it effectively.