The average person spends 10 seconds on an email. No matter how carefully you craft your newsletter, a large portion of your subscribers will scan it rather than read it, looking for whatever catches their eye. With dozens of emails competing for attention in any given inbox, that's not going to change. The question is whether your design accounts for it.
How do people read emails?
To design for skim-readers, you first need to understand how people consume online content. With a book, readers move left to right, line by line. With email and web content, most people scan in an F pattern, according to research from the Nielsen Norman Group.
The pattern works like this: readers scan horizontally across the top of the content, then move down and scan across again in a shorter sweep, then track down the left side vertically. The result looks like a capital F. There are deviations, but most readers follow some version of it.
The practical takeaway is that very few people will read every word. They are searching for something that interests them. If they find it, they stop. If they don't, they scroll past.
How should I structure my content?
Once you understand how skim-readers move through an email, you can structure your newsletter to put the right things in the right places.
Step 1, Break your content into digestible chunks
A solid block of text will put most readers off before they have even started. Shorter paragraphs are easier to scan and more likely to pull someone in rather than drive them away.
A few guidelines to follow here:
One idea per chunk. Don't try to pack multiple points into a single paragraph. Each chunk should carry one clear piece of information so a skim-reader can absorb it in a glance.
Use a headline for each chunk. Headlines act as signposts. They let readers jump to the section that interests them without having to read everything in between.
Pair each chunk with an image. Images draw the eye. A relevant image alongside each section adds another layer of navigation for someone scanning rather than reading.
Step 2, Get your message priority right
The order you place your chunks in matters. The Serial Position Effect describes how people remember the first and last items in a sequence far better than anything in the middle.
Put your most important message first. As the opening point, it will be seen by the most readers and is most likely to stick. Your second most important message should go at the end, where recall is also strong. A P.S. line works well here.
Everything in the middle will be treated as filler by most readers. That doesn't mean you should phone it in. Use headlines and images throughout to pull people in. Your loyal, thorough readers still want more than a beginning and an end.
Step 3, Think about the design of the copy itself
Once you have your chunks in order, look at how the copy itself is presented. Font choice, spacing, and emphasis all affect how readable your content is.
Keep your font simple. Decorative typefaces work fine for logos, but they slow readers down in body content. Stick to clean, legible fonts.
Watch your spacing. A crowded paragraph is hard to scan. Check the spacing between your headings, body text, and bullet points. Breathing room keeps readers engaged.
Finally, use bold text carefully. Read through your copy and check whether the bolded words alone still make sense as a sentence. For many skim-readers, the bolded text is the only thing they will take away from your email.
Skim-readers are here to stay
People will scan your content regardless of what you do. But if you break your email into clear chunks, order those chunks by importance, and pay attention to how the copy looks on the page, your message has a much better chance of landing, even with someone who only gives you 10 seconds.
If you would like help designing a campaign for skim-readers, get in touch today.
Frequently asked questions
- How long do subscribers typically spend reading an email newsletter?
- Research suggests the average person spends around 10 seconds on an email. Most subscribers scan rather than read, which is why structure and visual hierarchy matter so much in email newsletter design.
- What is the F-shaped reading pattern and why does it matter for email design?
- The F-shaped pattern, identified by the Nielsen Norman Group, describes how people scan online content: horizontally across the top, then again slightly lower, then down the left side. It means most readers will never see content that sits in the bottom-right of your email, so your most important messages should appear early and on the left.
- Where should I put my most important message in an email newsletter?
- Put your most important point first. The Serial Position Effect shows that readers remember the first and last items in a sequence best. Lead with your key message and place your second most important point at the end, such as in a P.S. line.
- How should I use bold text in an email newsletter?
- Use bold text sparingly and deliberately. A useful test: read only the bolded words and check whether they still form a coherent message on their own. For skim-readers, that bolded text may be the only thing they register.