Webpage Layout: Right Hand Side Blindness

In several recent websites we have user tested, the site designers have placed important task critical links and information on the right hand side (RHS) of three column page layouts. The user testing was conclusive, users ignore any information presented on the RHS. We think this is a similar effect to the well documented banner blindness. It is essential to ensure that import links or information is not positioned on the RHS as they will surely be ignored.

Users Have an Expectation of the Layout of Webpages

As design across the web becomes more homogenous users have built up models of how they expect information to laid out on a page. These models are based on the experiences they have had visiting many webpages. The Organizations Logo is in the top left hand corner. Navigation is either on the Left Hand Side or top of the page. The content is in the centre of the page and advertisements are placed on the RHS or in the banner.

Users Ignore the Right Hand Side and Banners

As Users expect any information, and especially images, placed on the RHS to be advertisements they pay no attention to the information presented there. This is true even for sites which would not be expected to carry advertisements, the learned model is applied to all websites. From existing research we know that click through rates for information in Banners is less than 1% of visitors to a page. Research also shows that the size and colour of information presented in these locations has little or no impact on users noticing them.

It has also been shown that recognition and recall of such information is less for users who have a specific task to carry out on a webpage than for those users who are just casually browsing a page.

With a few notable exceptions, for example in search features and login/logout links, it is essential that important information or task critical links are not placed in either the Banner or on the RHS of a webpage. This is particularly true where the user has a specific task to complete such as a purchase or information retrieval.