Understanding your users How people read online
Overview
Users engage with online content differently to how they read on paper. This is also affected by the type of device they use to access content.
Data show that users only read around 28% of content on a page. This means we have a short time to get their attention and direct them to the information they need.
Writing for time-poor users
Most users visit our website to complete a specific professional or data foraging task. This is just one of many tasks that they complete in their day. Users can become frustrated by long or complicated content that makes it harder for them to find the information they need quickly.
Users make rapid choices about what to read and what to ignore when looking for information related to their task. They will usually scan content to find a specific piece of information or the answer to a question, rather than reading everything from top to bottom.
How users scan online content
There are several ways that users scan for the information they need online, depending on how much time they have and how motivated they are.
F Pattern
The F pattern is when users scan down the left-hand side of a page. Once they have found information they are interested in, they read across. When you are writing content, put the most important information at the start of each section, paragraph, and sentence to frontload your content (opens in a new tab) This makes it easier for users to find what they are looking for.
Layer cake pattern
The layer cake pattern is when users only scan headings and subheadings to decide which section of text they want to read further. Use descriptive headings and subheadings (opens in a new tab) that accurately describe the content of each section to users, so they know where to look for information related to their task.
Spotted pattern
The spotted pattern is when users scan for specific words or elements that draw their attention. Use elements that stand out like links, quotation marks, or formatted text sparingly and for a specific purpose. This will avoid distracting or misdirecting users.
Bypassing pattern
The bypassing pattern is when users deliberately skip over text that is repetitive or that they think may not be helpful or relevant to them. Frontloading your content will help users find the most important information first. Avoid repeated content by only saying something once.
Exhaustive review pattern
The exhaustive review pattern is when users closely scan and re-scan text. This happens when they struggle to understand content or when they cannot find what they are looking for, which can lead to frustration. Break up large pieces of text with clearly labelled sections and keep your content brief and frontloaded. Follow our guidance on writing simply (opens in a new tab) , using consistent language, and using the active voice when drafting your content.
Read more about scanning patterns and how people read online in Nielsen Norman Group’s (NNG’s) Text Scanning Patterns: Eyetracking Evidence article (opens in a new tab)
Mobile devices
Over half of users view the ONS website on a mobile device. It is important to think about how content looks on a phone or tablet, compared with a desktop computer.
Mobile devices have smaller screens, which means users often need to scroll to access all available content. However, research also shows that 80% of users on a phone or tablet do not scroll past the first quarter of a release.
Reading comprehension can also take longer on a mobile device. Users can understand short, simple text, but they slow down when reading more complex content.
Keep your content brief and use plain language to make it easier to understand for users on mobile devices. Read our guidance on structuring paragraphs and sentences (opens in a new tab) and on using accordions to direct users to the most important information first.
Checking the readability of your content
We should write in a way that is easy to understand for all users. Follow our guidance on structuring content with users in mind (opens in a new tab)
We recommend that you check how readable your content is. There are two methods you can use to do this.
Checking market-sensitive or unpublished content
Check the readability of sensitive or unpublished information in Microsoft Word. To do this:
- Open your Word document and click the “Review” tab.
- Select the “Proofing” dropdown and click on “Editor”.
- In the right-hand “Editor” pane, find the “Insights” section and click “Document stats”.
The Document stats will show you both the Flesch Reading Ease score and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Score. The Flesch Reading Ease score is higher the more readable your text is. The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score shows the education level required to be able to understand your text.
Checking non-market sensitive content
Check the readability of non-market sensitive information that has already been published in a writing tool, like the Hemingway App (opens in a new tab) Do not paste sensitive information or unpublished data into Hemingway or other online writing tools, because they are not secured or encrypted platforms.
Paste your text into the app to get a readability score, which corresponds to education levels. The lower the readability score, the easier your text is to understand.