What’s the F got to do with business writing?

We consume digital content differently to printed material and researchers have identified most of us follow an F-shape when we read online.

Understanding how audiences interact with text on a screen is essential when we create content to publish online.

What's the F?

The F-shape pattern represents how we typically scan web pages. Aptly named for its resemblance to the letter 'F,' it represents how our eyes move across a screen. Initially, we read in a horizontal line across the top of the screen. Next, our eyes move down the page slightly and read across in a second, shorter horizontal movement. Finally, they scan vertically down the left side of the page.

Knowing how our audiences read online means we can create and publish content that will capture and retain attention. It improves readability and means our target readers will remain engaged for longer, leading to higher conversion rates.

Here's how to apply the F-shape to our writing

Start strong

An attention-grabbing headline and compelling first sentence create the top horizontal line of the 'F'.  Try using a bold statement, a thought-provoking question or a succinct summary of our main point.

Journalists call the opening sentence of their stories a 'lead' - it gives readers the most important information in a concise and clear manner and hooks their interest to continue reading. Our business writing may not be headline news, but the same approach works just as well.

Subheadings

We don't actually read online. We scan. That's why it's important to use clear and descriptive subheadings to break up our text. They guide our readers' eyes down the vertical of the 'F' and allow them to continue reading into the horizontal lines in the F if they're interested.

Short paragraphs

Concise paragraphs of 2 to 3 sentences are easier to read and scan. This approach also encourages our audience to follow the smaller 'F' horizontal lines as they track down the page.

Put it in a list

Presenting our ideas in a list instead of long paragraphs is a powerful way to make complex information digestible. Short sentences in bullet points help highlight key messages and make our content more skimmable.

Structuring our content to align with readers’ natural scanning behaviour will enhance readability, retain attention and increase engagement.

And in an online environment where attention spans are short, the F-shape can be the secret to making our content win.

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