When writing for your site, it's true that content is key and plays a very large part in increasing conversions and keeping people coming back to your site. However, there is a big difference between user-friendly content and… well, not-so-user-friendly content. Consider what draws your attention – would you rather read a list of key points with subheadings or lengthy paragraphs of copy? Personally, and I think it goes for most people, I tend to scan things before I read them and if I find something interesting, I go back and read the rest. A good thing to keep in mind is that if it looks like a research paper, chances are users are probably not reading it.
However, creating 'easy-to-read' copy is a lot easier said than done but because it's so important, it's vital to understand what it takes to create user-friendly content.
The Key "Points" of Readability
It's About Design, Too
While content is a key component to a great site and has a strong influence on readability, there are certain web design aspects that also affect your website's readability. Aside from keeping content short, concise, and to the point, it's also important to ensure your website's design is effectively conveying this content. Things such as alignment, color contract, and font all play a part in making your site more user-friendly.
Alignment also plays an important part in readability. Not only does it look nice but scattered web components look unattractive to the eye, reducing site readability.
It's important to keep content simple and to the point, while making use out of lists, white space, and subheadings. The implementation of a good design has a huge effect on readability as well. While there is a large variety of things that affect your sites readability, content and design play a large part and oftentimes go hand-in-hand.