Eye-tracking studies reveal how visitors scan web pages. Design your layout to match natural reading patterns.
Eye-tracking research has consistently shown that website visitors don't read pages from top to bottom like a book. They scan in predictable patterns, and understanding these patterns allows you to place your most important content where eyes naturally land first.
The most common scanning pattern is the F-pattern: visitors read horizontally across the top of the page, then move down and read a shorter horizontal section, then scan vertically down the left side. This means your headline, subheadline, and the first few words of each section need to work the hardest.
For landing pages designed to convert, the Z-pattern is more effective and should be designed for intentionally. The visitor's eye moves from the top-left (your logo) to the top-right (phone number/CTA), then diagonally down to the bottom-left (social proof), and finally to the bottom-right (CTA button). Place your key elements along this Z-path.
Use visual hierarchy to guide attention. Larger text draws the eye first, followed by images, then body text. Bold text, colour contrast, and whitespace all help important elements stand out. Your CTA button should be the most visually prominent element on the page - if it blends into the surrounding content, it's not working hard enough.