My favorite usability hero, Jakob Nielsen, has some new results from eye-tracking technology that can help you improve your web site. OK, the results aren’t that earth-shattering (except for the bit near the end about men checking out George Brett’s crotch–and if that’s not worth a WTF?!, I don’t know what is), but they are worth repeating:

• Use subheads & bulleted lists.
• Make the writing shorter and more concise.
• Include more white space.
• Write useful headlines (not cute or witty, unless they can also be useful).

Making those changes can help users get through the content in half the time and remember 34% more.

The article also has tips for online graphics, namely make the pictures useful. If the picture doesn’t add anything, it’d be better to have white space. It’s also better to use real people instead of stock imagery, and if your target audience is men it’s apparently good to include “areas of private anatomy.” Again, WTF?! (link via kottke.org)