When someone arrives at your website do they have to read through everything to find the information they are looking for? If so, you may need to put more thought into the hierarchy of information on your web pages.
What is meant by the hierarchy of your content?
It is the strategic placement of information on the web page – and it usually involve the most important content being higher on the page and easier to see ‘at a glance’ (i.e. it is larger, or offset in some way from the other content so that it stands out) and the less important content is further down the page.
You only have a few seconds to capture your audience’s attention. When there is no established hierarchy and all the elements have the same weight visitors will not be able to find what they are looking for quickly, which will make them frustrated and they will leave.
A few key things to think about:
- Make sure you are using size, weight, and spacing to draw attention to elements.
- Use headings and subheadings in a logical way. And stay consistent.
- Make sure the flow throughout your website is consistent from page to page so that visitors can easily navigate your pages and drill down to find the specific information they are looking for quickly. This will lead to less frustrated visitors and a better chance that they will take that final step with your call to action.
Not sure where to begin?
Pay attention on the sites you visit most often. Where does your eye go first and why?
Reach out if you have any questions or want to look over the hierarchy of your website together.
