|
 Make it Easier
to Read!
When I am working on a Web site, I often
ask my Mom for feedback. When I was first starting out in my Web Design business,
she would always say, "Make it easier to read." Now, readability is
a major concern for me. Why is readability of your Web site important?
You want to keep the door of your business
open to all segments of the population by giving them a pleasant viewing experience.
The online reader
wants different things than those reading for pleasure. They are looking for information
and want to find it quickly and easily. My Mom is not the only one who has trouble
reading web pages. It is estimated that within a couple of years, 16.3 million
seniors will be online. And let's face it, none of us
is getting any younger. Also, many people go online in the evening after a long day
at work. Eyestrain is a fact of life for the online crowd.
Here are some tips to make your Web pages
easier to read: 1. Break up blocks of text by keeping sentences and paragraphs short. Use numbered
or bullet lists. Highlight or bold main points. 2. Don't use teeny tiny font sizes. 3. ON THE OTHER HAND, DON'T
USE ALL UPPER CASE TEXT - PEOPLE WILL THINK
YOU ARE SCREAMING AT THEM! 4. You can leave the font size scalable so users can control the size they want. For example,
in Internet Explorer, you can go to View/Text Size and pick the size you want.
5. Use contrasting colors. Text is easiest to read when the font text color and
the background color are in high contrast. 6. Leave some white space between the paragraphs to give your Web site a clean
look. | 
