I know you care deeply about your clients, and you want them to have a positive experience with your brand. That's why it's so important to create content that is easy to read, visually appealing, and looks professional.
One of the easiest ways to do that is to ensure that you create a smooth user experience on your website.
You want your audience to be able to easily read and absorb all the good content and copy you’ve poured your heart into, right?
Well people tend only absorb about 20% of the copy on a website page. So here are some tips to help you create a better user experience to keep your clients happily engaged, so that they end up reading your content and feeling connected to you.
This is where your sales will come from!
By thoughtfully choosing how to align your website text, you have the opportunity to create an environment where your ideal client feels valued, connected, and fully immersed in your message.
Let's explore how each text alignment style can contribute to the overall experience your clients have while engaging with your content and, ultimately, enhance your online presence.
Centre-Aligned Text
Centre-aligned text offers a balanced and symmetrical appearance. It can draw attention and make a statement, making it effective for headlines or short and impactful messages. However, it's important to consider readability, as it can be more challenging to read for longer paragraphs or extensive content.
Benefits of Centre-Aligned Text:
Visual Impact: Centre-aligned text creates a focal point and can make a bold statement
Creative Design: It can contribute to the overall aesthetic, especially for websites with a creative or artistic theme
Factors to Consider:
Readability: Centre-aligned text can disrupt the natural flow and scanning patterns of readers, especially for longer paragraphs
Consistency: Ensure consistent and purposeful use throughout the website to avoid a confusing user experience
Perfect Places to Use Centre-Aligned Text:
Headlines: Centre-aligned text can grab the reader's attention and make a bold statement
Short and Impactful Messages: Use centre-aligned text to emphasise and create a focal point for short and impactful messages
Here's an example of centre-aligned text as a heading
Here's an example of centre-aligned text as a paragraph. You can see it's not that easy to read. Chupa chups cupcake marshmallow marshmallow bear claw tiramisu. Chocolate cake cupcake jelly beans pastry sweet gummi bears marzipan shortbread. Muffin brownie lemon drops jelly-o candy dessert macaroon bonbon croissant. Jelly beans macaroon caramels bonbon marshmallow cake cake cake. Gummies caramels danish oat cake oat cake croissant. Cheesecake jelly beans apple pie cake jelly beans gummi bears chocolate bar bonbon gummi bears. Soufflé tiramisu icing cheesecake cake.
Left-Aligned Text
Left-aligned text, also known as ragged-right text, is the most common and widely accepted text alignment. It aligns the text along the left margin while leaving the right margin uneven.
Benefits of Left-Aligned Text
Readability: Left-aligned text prioritises the readability of your content. By ensuring a consistent starting point for each line, it helps readers maintain focus and effortlessly follow through the text. This thoughtful alignment reduces eye strain and allows for easy scanning and comprehension of the content, resulting in a more enjoyable and engaging experience on your website.
User Experience: Choosing left-aligned text demonstrates your care for your clients and their reading experience. It creates a more organic and familiar reading experience, resembling the way we read in books and other printed materials. This alignment provides a comfortable and enjoyable reading experience for your audience.
When to Use Left-Aligned Text
Left-aligned text is ideal for conveying information and body text on websites, such as paragraph text. It provides a clean and organised look, making it easier for users to read and comprehend the content.
When using left-aligned text for paragraph content on websites, it is recommended to have a minimum of 3-4 lines of text. This helps create a visually pleasing and balanced layout while still providing enough content for users to engage with.
Specific Examples of Informative Content
As a small business owner, you can use left-aligned text to convey information about your products or services in an organised and visually appealing way. Consider using left-aligned text for:
Paragraph text
Product descriptions
Service details
Blog posts
Your newsletter
Here's an example of left-aligned text as a heading
Here's an example of left-aligned text as a paragraph. You can see it's much more natural and easier to read than centre-aligned text. Cake wafer tootsie roll jelly shortbread cotton candy topping powder. Pastry macaroon pastry danish oat cake lollipop jelly beans gummi bears. Danish jelly jujubes pie jelly jelly-o. Pudding jelly beans bonbon dessert jelly cupcake bonbon. Bear claw cookie cookie pudding chupa chups danish gingerbread gummies donut. Bonbon cookie carrot cake sesame snaps pie caramels lemon drops candy canes chocolate.
Right-Aligned Text
Right-aligned text, also known as ragged-left text, can add visual interest and emphasise specific content on your small business website. It offers a unique visual presentation and can be effective in certain scenarios. However, it's important to note that right-aligned text should be used sparingly and with caution, as it requires a good understanding of design principles.
Designers sometimes have the freedom to break traditional rules for the sake of creativity and uniqueness. However, it's crucial to have a strong grasp of design fundamentals before experimenting with right-aligned text. It's recommended for experienced designers who can ensure readability and maintain a positive user experience.
Key Considerations for Right-Aligned Text:
Visual Hierarchy: Right-aligned text can break away from the conventional left alignment and help draw attention to important content.
Creative Design: If you have a solid design background and want to add a touch of creativity or uniqueness to your website, right-aligned text can contribute to the overall aesthetic.
However, it's essential to keep in mind the following factors:
Readability: Right-aligned text can be more challenging to read, especially for longer paragraphs or extensive content.
User Experience: Ensure that right-aligned text does not hinder the overall user experience and readability of your website.
By using right-aligned text thoughtfully and purposefully, experienced designers can create a visually appealing design that effectively communicates the intended message. Remember that prioritising readability and user experience should always be the primary focus when deciding on the text alignment for your small business website.
Here's an example of right-aligned text as a heading
Here's an example of right-aligned text as a paragraph. You can see it's harder to read than left-aligned text. Wafer soufflé lollipop tootsie roll gingerbread sweet tiramisu icing muffin. Bear claw tiramisu pie icing lollipop wafer gingerbread cupcake. Brownie cheesecake chupa chups gummies croissant. Halvah chupa chups donut chupa chups cookie candy wafer.
Justified-Aligned Text
Justified text is another text alignment option you can consider for your small business website. With justified text, the spaces between words and characters are adjusted to create a clean and even appearance across the entire width of the paragraph.
Benefits of Justified Text:
Polished Appearance: Justified text provides a professional and clean look, as it fills the entire width of the paragraph.
Readability: The even spacing in justified text can enhance readability, especially for longer paragraphs or extensive content.
Factors to Consider:
Hyphenation: Justified text may require hyphenation to maintain a consistent appearance. Ensure that hyphenation settings are appropriately adjusted to avoid awkward line breaks.
Word Spacing: Be mindful of excessive word spacing, as it can negatively impact readability. Adjust word spacing settings as needed to maintain legibility.
Best Use Cases for Justified Text:
Body Text: Justified text can be suitable for longer paragraphs or articles where a polished and formal appearance is desired.
Printed Materials: Justified text is commonly used in printed materials such as brochures, magazines, or books.
Here's an example of justified text as a heading
Here's an example of justified text as a paragraph. You can see how the spacing is adjusted to create a clean and even appearance across the entire width of the paragraph. Cake wafer tootsie roll jelly shortbread cotton candy topping powder. Pastry macaroon pastry danish oat cake lollipop jelly beans gummi bears. Danish jelly jujubes pie jelly jelly-o. Pudding jelly beans bonbon dessert jelly cupcake bonbon. Bear claw cookie cookie pudding chupa chups danish gingerbread gummies donut. Bonbon cookie carrot cake sesame snaps pie caramels lemon drops candy canes chocolate. Wafer sesame snaps chocolate cheesecake tiramisu toffee. Pudding caramels macaroon candy chocolate chocolate cake.
Text alignment on your small business website
So there you have it! If you want to create an engaging and delightful experience for your dream customers, carefully choose how your text appears on each section of your website.
Use centre-aligned text for impact, and stick with left-aligned text for any chunks of text longer than 3 lines. Steer clear of right-aligned text unless you've given real thought to breaking the 'rules' and the consequences thereof ;)
When deciding on text alignment, always consider the nature of your content, readability, and user experience. Here's to creating a visually appealing and user-friendly website that captivates your audience and leaves them wanting more!
Are you a woman entrepreneur with a Wix Website? Want to take your business to new the next level? Join our community of ambitious women entrepreneurs and receive valuable resources and actionable tips to improve your website and grow your business.
Caitlin Pieters is a Strategic Wix Website Designer based in Nottingham, UK. She helps ambitious women entrepreneurs take their online presence to the next level through 1:1 work and group coaching programmes.
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