Consumers do not judge a brand purely on its products. Instead, modern consumers are looking for a rewarding and satisfying experience throughout their contact with a brand. So, the quality of the experience a website provides is as crucial as the quality of the product sold.<\/p>\n
A website can be a powerful marketing tool. But, digital trends and users’ expectations change. So, a website that was once a perfect tool for generating sales or leads can become outdated and reflect poorly on a brand.<\/p>\n
However, an outdated website does not always demand a rewrite. There are many ways that you can improve the user experience (UX) on a site without resorting to starting again from scratch. Here twelve tips to help enhance the user experience on a website.<\/p>\n
UX design begins and ends with the user. So, the first step to improving the user experience on a website is to learn more about the visitors to that site. First, you need to build a picture of visitors to a site. For example, what age are they and what are their interests? What other types of sites do they visit, and what other products do they use? Understanding your target audience will help you tailor a website experience precisely to the needs and preferences of those people.<\/p>\n
Websites tend to get overly complicated over time. For example, functionality is added, new content is posted, and some content becomes redundant. After a while, a site can become a maze that is difficult to navigate. So, take a critical look at your website to see what can be removed to simplify the experience. Do all pages serve a purpose, for example? Can the content be scanned to find the salient points? Will a first-time user be able to navigate quickly to the page they need?<\/p>\n
People don’t like to be kept waiting. So, check the load speed of the pages on your website to ensure the best user experience. You can use Google’s free page speed insights tool to check load speeds and get suggestions on how to speed up a page. But the first thing to try is compressing images. Ideally, pages should load in under two seconds. If pages do take too long to load, it can increase bounce rates significantly.<\/p>\n
White space helps users focus on the content. So, if your content is crammed together, spread things out to make the content easier to read. Sensible use of white space also makes a website look clean, crisp, and modern. Some of the areas to consider adding additional are around titles and headings, page margins, and images.<\/p>\n
When you add a link to an external or internal page, you invite the user to click that link. So, it is best to use a consistent color and font to differentiate hyperlinks on a website. Most users are familiar with blue underlined text signifying a hyperlink. So, if that fits in with your site’s color scheme, it is probably best to stick with that convention. However, other methods will work if they are consistent across the site and cannot be confused with any other page element.<\/p>\n
The most important information on a website should stand out. So, consider how easy it is to find the crucial information on each page of your site. There are many ways that you can make information easier to locate. For example, bullet points make a list easier to navigate. And you can use bold fonts or contrasting colors to highlight text. The important thing is to ensure that users can find what they need with the minimum effort. And that, of course, goes for the all-important calls action, too.<\/p>\n
You may know where things are on your website, but how easy is it for new visitors to find their way around your site? Review the navigation features of your site to ensure that the critical pages can be found quickly. For example, you might need to simplify your menu structure if it has become cluttered over time. And ensure that your search box is easy to find and available on every page.<\/p>\n
Ensure that your choice of colors and fonts are not making it difficult to read your content. For example, fonts need to be large enough for people to read, and the color of the text needs to contrast with the background. And, stick with simple fonts, too. Getting overly creative with fonts might make your website look great and stand out from other sites. However, the primary objective of a site is to convey information, so readability must come first.<\/p>\n
Using platforms like WordPress makes it relatively easy to add flashy functionality like animation and other effects plugins. However, if you go overboard with the effects, it will distract visitors from your site’s message. The star of the show should be the product you are selling, not the web design wizardry. So, less is usually best when it comes to things like animated transitions and hover effects.<\/p>\n
A responsive website should be a given these days. But a responsive site does not guarantee useability on tablets and mobiles. For example, the font also needs to be readable on small screens, and pages need to be uncluttered so that mobile users don’t need to zoom in to see the content. And you will need a menu that is optimized for mobile devices, too. So, it is best not to take it for granted that your website works well on mobile devices. Instead, check for usability on mobile devices and make modifications if needed to optimize the mobile user’s experience.<\/p>\n
It has been estimated the average internet user only takes the time to read about 20% of any page they visit. So, it must be apparent to a user what a page is about as soon as they begin scanning down the content. People tend to scan down web pages in an F shape pattern. They read the title or subtitle first, the first few lines, and then scan the page to the next subtitle. So, it is crucial that your titles and subtitles accurately describe the content. And the first paragraphs of the text should indicate the topic that follows.<\/p>\n
Consistency of design throughout a site is essential for a good user experience. So, titles, subheadings, and body text should always be in the same font. And calls to action should look the same and be placed in the same or similar location on every page. If one page of a site looks significantly different from other pages, it could confuse a visitor. And, if the navigation and calls to action are not the same, a user may have to hunt around to find how to take the next step.<\/p>\n
The key to a satisfying user experience is to make it as easy as possible for a user to find what they need and perform the desired action. So, you need to eliminate anything that stands in the way of the user reaching the goal. But, as you can see from above, many things can reduce the quality of the user experience. So, if you have a long-established website, it would be beneficial to conduct periodic user-experience audits to ensure the best experience for visitors to your site.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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