Eyetracking studies can inform how content should be organized on your webpage. A report from Eyetrackers offers some sound advice for content placement and effective headline writing given how people view websites. It’s an interesting report, and the key takeaways are summarized at the end of the article:
- Readers are first drawn to the flag/logo and your top headlines, especially when they are located in the upper left of your page, so you may want to place important content in these areas. You might use other elements such as blurbs to override this instinct if there is some other content that you wish your readers to see before all else. Also remember that large headlines tend to attract more eye fixations sooner than some other page elements.
- Understand that the first few words in a homepage headline are crucial in engaging the largest number of users. Also note that unusual initial words and words in all capital letters may influence how many eyes fixate on a particular headline.
- Users will give you a minimum of five chances to engage them with headlines. Excellent headline writing in this environment can make a difference.
You can read the full report here.