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How do I format text on my website for the best user experience?

When it comes to building content for your website such as case studies and blogs, many questions can come to mind with regards to formatting, legibility and so on. We’re going to outline a few key points to keep in mind when you’re deciding how to format text on your website to ensure you don’t slip up whilst making these choices!

Think about what devices your audience might be using

When writing copy and uploading it to a website through a PC or Mac, it can be easy to forget the legibility and formatting of text on other devices. The latest statistics as of June 2022* show that 59.77% of web traffic comes from mobile devices, followed by 37.96% from desktops, and finally 2.27% from tablets. This makes now a better time than ever to consider how your website is displayed across the board.  Phone screens are much smaller and often show content in portrait as opposed to landscape. When adding long sections of text to your website, it’s important to consider how it will wrap when being viewed on a smaller screen, to optimise user experience and engagement.

Alongside this, you should also consider the style of text you’re using. Will the font and size that looks perfect on a PC screen be as effective on a phone or tablet? It can be difficult to find the perfect harmony when there are so many different ways to view a website out there, but doing your research and checking these things throughout the website design and build process can save you from bigger issues in the long run.

Be mindful of accessibility considerations

As well as devices being a variable when it comes to user experience, it is also important to consider the accessibility needs of your audience. For example, dyslexic or visually impaired readers may use a screen magnifier or another kind of software to help them when reading content on a website. The way you choose to format your content is critical when it comes to having a website that is accessible for anyone who may be using modifications such as these.

According to the Royal National Institute of Blind People, (RNIB) they advise against using justified text on websites. Text justification increases/decreases the space between words, so that each line of text starts and ends at the same place. Although this may be used for a clean and aesthetic look, for users with reading assistance tools, this can actually damage their experience and make reading a website considerably more difficult to navigate. Doing additional research into making your website as accessible as possible will help to create a more user-friendly, inclusive experience and save you from running into things that you’d wish to have known about earlier.

Feel like your website needs revisiting? Mzuri offers a free marketing consultation, get in touch today to see how we can help you!

* Statcounter Global Stats https://gs.statcounter.com/platform-market-share/desktop-mobile-tablet#yearly-2011-2022

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