Many writers get bitten by the trendy bug when they design their Web sites – or, they get kidnapped by graphic artists into a flash-based all-singing (yes, there’s sound), all-dancing (and moving text) extravaganzas.
The results may be pretty (white text on a black background or shudder, RED text on a black background). Unfortunately, it’s not readable. With many millions of Web sites online, you’ve got SEVEN seconds, according to researchers, to convince people to read your site.
In the past hour, I’ve clicked away from two writers’ sites. One featured bright white text on a grey background, the other featured white text on an orange background. I truly wanted to read what the writers had to say, but I clicked away from those horrendous sites in a blink. They weren’t readable. Why would I want to get eye-strain trying to decipher whatever was on those pages?
When people are surfing the Web, they’re busy. They’re in work-mode. They’re trying to focus, with phones ringing, people walking past their office door, and deadlines they have to meet. They’re not looking for prettiness in your site. They’re looking for information.
If the cardinal rule of writing is “don’t be boring”, the cardinal rule of Web sites is “don’t annoy people.”
Please stick to BLACK text on a WHITE Web page. Forget trendy, just keep it readable. Follow Jakob Nielsen’s advice.
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Angela Booth
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