There have been a number of studies conducted regarding how web page visitors interact with the pages they visit and what the most effective layout might be. One of the most prominent studies was conducted by Jakob Nielsen who used eye tracking studies to discover that people viewed pages in a roughly “F” shaped pattern. People read left to right at the top of a page but as they continue, they start scanning along the left column only.
The details of the study linked to above are pretty interesting. Another website, Virtual Hosting.com coalesced the major suggestions Nielsen made along with those from other studies to create a list of simple ways people can improve the effectiveness of their websites. (Tips for blogs on conveniently on the next page.)
The most surprising of their 23 tips is the first one- Text attracts attention before graphics.
I will leave it to my curious readers to continue on and find out why…
