Top 10 Tips To Improve Your Website’s Usability
According to Web designers the top ten tips to improve your website’s usability should not only be aimed at basic features, but also at the visual design, the navigation and the functionality. First of all let’s look into the basic things that can affect the usability. When it comes to website design one thing that you should pay attention to is the typography. As the web pages are usually designed in a variety of fonts, sizes, weights and colors, this factor can really affect the overall effectiveness of the website.
Next you should pay special attention to the size of the text and the background. A lot of people who design websites forget about this factor and end up cramming too much content on their pages which can actually make it harder for users to read what is on the page. Even though you are trying to provide lots of information on your website it should still be readable enough. You can also experiment with different color schemes to see which one works best. Just keep in mind that lighter colors tend to make the text larger.
Paying attention to the formatting of the page is also important because it can be one of the factors that can lead to conversion problems or even to the abandonment of the website. Don’t use too many graphics and images. Instead of putting pictures or images try to put them where they can be seen clearly without obstructing the actual content of the web page. The navigation of the web page should also be carefully thought about. Make sure that there is a clear navigation hierarchy on each page of the website.
It is also worth mentioning that the links in your website should be working. You should not put any links in the middle of the content. The links in the middle of the content are very difficult to understand and usually lead users to click away from your website. If you don’t want users to click away from your website just because you failed to load your page properly then you should consider using alt image tags. This way, your visitors will not be distracted by images and will spend more time exploring your website.
Another way to improve your website’s usability is by testing your web page’s loading time. Many people will immediately leave a website if it takes too long to load. In order to ensure that your site is as user-friendly as possible then you should spend some time every day checking the web page. If you do this regularly then you should start to notice a significant improvement in the speed at which your site loads.
Another thing that you should pay attention to when trying to improve your website’s usability is your website’s design. User usability is heavily influenced by how easy it is to navigate through the website. Many people who are searching for products or services on the Internet will often find a website by basing their search on its design. A cluttered website with random, meaningless graphics will most likely get a lot of visitors who will not stay for very long.
The way you set your website up can also have an impact on how easily it is navigated. If you are planning to include photos or videos then make sure that you include them in a proper way. If you cannot place them where they would be most appropriate then you should place them where they will be convenient for your visitors. If you want to provide some sort of demonstration or information, then make sure that you place it where your visitor will find it. For example, having your video appear at the top of the page instead of the footer will cause visitors to spend more time viewing your video rather than reading your website’s content. In order to maximize your website’s potential as a tool for selling products or services, you should always strive to provide your visitors with a better browsing experience.
You might also consider checking out your competitors’ websites. If you find a website that has an easier to navigate design and a better use of color then you should definitely try to copy the website’s layout as much as possible. The use of too many colors or Flash presentations can distract people from what your site is actually offering. Always strive to keep your website’s content relevant and simple.
