Our Blog Scannable Website Content Posted on 01.22.2024 Website Marketing Scannable website content enables a better user experience for the short attention spans of today’s consumers and decision-makers. When you’re refreshing your website content this year, consider how quickly your users can scan pages and find the information they need to purchase your products. We recently highlighted the difference between long-form and short-form content to help you decide which is best for your audience. To recap, we recommend leaving long-form content for blog posts and downloadable e-books, white papers, case studies, and more. However, keep in mind that wherever you use longer content, you can use these tips for scannable website content to make any type of content more user-friendly. Jump to Section Options for Scannable Content Options for Scannable Content Lists, Copy Blocks, and Sidebars Images, Pullouts, and CTA Buttons Options for Scannable Content What are the options for making websites more scannable? Making a website easy for users to scan involves looking at content in chunks and segments and converting select content to graphics where appropriate. Breaking up large blocks of content into short-form content, such as bullet lists, numbered lists, sidebars, and pullouts can make a positive impact on the user experience of your website. Here are a few options for editing longer copy into scannable content. Lists—Create bulleted or numbered lists of services, categories, locations, products, etc.Copy blocks—Break long paragraphs into shorter paragraphs and use subheads.Sidebars—Move some copy into an SEO-optimized sidebar.Images—Find ways to include relevant images, including captions that support the copy on the web page.Pullout facts and quotes—Pull important text out into colored squares or bars.Infographics—Have a designer create on-brand infographics to include alongside relevant text.Calls to action—Remember to include CTA buttons where appropriate to direct visitors to the information they need to learn more, contact you, and purchase your products or services. Lists, Copy Blocks, and Sidebars When you have a lot to say about your products and services, lists, copy blocks, and sidebars can help make text more scannable. Review the copy on your website for lists of three or more items in a sentence or a step-by-step explanation; that text could become a bullet list or numbered list. By editing lists out of copy, you create much more scannable content. Long copy blocks may be able to be edited into two or more smaller paragraphs or pulled into a sidebar to improve the layout of the page. With some skillful editing, a long-winded website can be transformed into a user-friendly experience that is still optimized and localized. Images, Pullouts, and CTA Buttons Images—whether graphics, photos, videos, or buttons—are important to making a website inviting. They give users a great first look at your products and message while supporting your brand. In addition, images provide opportunities for SEO copy in the form of captions and metatags. When you look at your website, are there enough relevant visuals to support your written content? If you don’t have photos or videos to embed in the content, consider adding facts in pullout boxes or bars to highlight your point of view and add visual interest. Infographics are another visual design option. B2B marketers should consider improving the user experience with infographics, which can give prominence to facts, research results, product comparisons, and so on. For example, Metro Studios incorporated infographics representing facts about data and history in the following websites: REDI economic development facts and figuresBrucemore historical milestones Finally, call-to-action (aka CTA) buttons or bars guide visitors through your website. Think about each type of customer’s path through your website. Place CTAs on any page where you can link them to the next page or step in their journey. Buttons are a common graphic element of CTAs, and they require some white space around them, which further helps break up long content. You can improve your website with scannable content and further enhance your online presence with custom website design from Metro Studios. For a strategic analysis that can help you enhance your website and grow your business, contact us today.