As you continue on your quest to imrove the conversion rate of your site and pages, there are some principles that you should keep in mind.

People Read From Left to Right

If your web site is going to be in English or one of the many other languages that are read left to right, then you need to remember that your visitors will typically see something in the left half of the page first, and that they will probably start reading on that half of the page.

This doesn’t mean that they are blind to the right side of the page. Well placed headers and images can draw their attention to important areas of the right side of the page.

What this means is that you should consider placing your most important items on the left half of the page. If you want to increase the likelihood that your visitors will see something, include it where they will start reading.

People Read From Top to Bottom

This point is along the same lines as the last one. People usually see what’s on the top of the page first. Include your most important items in the top half of your page. These two principles are the reason that left or top navigation menus are usually the most effective for helping your visitors to navigate your site.

What is the Golden Triangle?

The golden triangle is the area of the screen that visitors see most. It starts in the top left corner, goes to the top right of the page, and then cuts down to the bottom left. Items in this area are more likely to be seen, as is shown in heat map 1 and heat map 2. As you get further right or further down the page, items are less and less likely to be seen.

You can use this principle for many presentation, writing, and graphical design projects. Even your resume can receive a boost if you place the most important information in the Golden Triangle.

How Do Newspapers Affect the Web?

Newspapers are large, folded sheets of paper. Often, the only page that gets read is the front page, in the area that doesn’t require the reader to unfold or open the newspaper. This area is called “above the fold.” The most important information and headlines have to be include here or people may never see it.

On the web, the area above the fold is the area that visitors see on your page without having to click or scroll. Your most important information generally goes in this area. Attention spans are short, so you have to grab visitors’ attention quickly when they come to your site.

Why Shouldn’t Newspapers Affect the Web?

Back in the early days of the web, people who weren’t familiar with the net didn’t know to scroll down. Now days, about 60% of your audience will scroll down at least a little bit to see what’s further down the page.

This means that, although the area above the fold is still the most important, you still need to pay very close attention to areas below the fold on your web site. Scrolling down a web page is easier than unfolding the newspaper and a lot more people will do it than used to. Don’t let the design of newspapers and books dictate what you do on the web—it’s a different medium with many different rules, and it should be treated as such.