Have a high bounce rate?  Maybe your text is too hard to read.

If you want your readers to stick around, you’re going to need to make sure they can read your blog.

One of the easiest things to do in regards to reader usability is to make the text easy to read, and yet I’ve seen so many blogs that are nearly impossible to read.

If I can’t read a blog, then I won’t read it – I’m gone.  Staring at a computer screen causes enough eyestrain as it is, I don’t want to be squinting at the screen trying to decipher text.

There are at least three things you should consider when determining the readability of your blog:

• Font Style
• Background
• Skimmability

Choose a Good Font Style

Who is your target audience?  Does your font really have to be Arial size 8?  Maybe you think the smaller font is cute, but if you are writing for older people, will they be able to read it?  They don’t even necessarily have to be old.  I’m in my earlier twenties and I find myself squinting at size 8 font.  Just make life easier, and at least go with size 10.

Also consider the font face.  Script fonts can look nice, and if you are going for a more antique feel, or a diary esque feel, you might want to use fonts that look handwritten.  Be careful doing this.  Fonts might look different on different resolutions and different browsers.  You can check your browser compatibility.  But ultimately, you should probablby avoid using a cursivey font.  They do look nice, so if you want to use them, use them sparingly, perhaps in your logo or your headings.

Also consider: sometimes people just do not have the font you are using.  If they don’t have it, then their browser will substitute a different font.  You can set which font the browser will go to in your html code.

Avoid Busy Backgrounds

Color plays an incredibly important role in readability.  Use colors that are easy on the eyes.  Red text on a blue background … probably not the best choice.  I would also avoid using dark backgrounds with light text.  This can also hurt someone’s eyes, especially if they are used to reading text on a white background.

Lighter colors are better, but if you really like the look of a dark background consider this: the page background can be dark, but you can use a lighter background for the area behind the posts.

You’ll also want to consider the pattern of the background.  Some very busy backgrounds can make the text hard to read.  If you want to use a patterned background, try making the area behind the actual text a solid color.

Make Your Posts “Skim”-able

The easier it is, the more likely people will read.  You need to entice them to read in the first place.  It’s like using a good cover to get a reader to open a book.  For blogs, you need a good layout – that is, an easy to use layout – to get visitors to read your posts.

I can never stress enough the importance of using shorter paragraphs.  Many readers just don’t like the long of long paragraphs.  They’re intimidated and therefore turned off from reading.  For more information, you can read my older post about how to write easy to read posts that appeal to readers.

It’s simple – easy to read posts make your readers happy, and happy readers will keep coming back.