USEFUL TIPS

The term user experience with regards to a website is something that we hear a lot, and it means exactly what the words imply: the ease with which a user is able to browse a website and make use of it. However, there is a common misconstruction about just what exactly this means. 

Most people assume that this means having a site which is visually appealing. While the aesthetics play a large part in the user experience, they are not the sole guarantee that the website is providing visitors with a good user experience.

The crux of the user experience is to provide good usability, to be appealing not only visually but in a way that conveys the right information and encourages conversions to them in a way that is easy, intuitive, and with clarity. When good user experience is done right, it isn’t noticeable because all of the elements come together seamlessly.

If you find that your website is not generating as many leads as you believe it should, if your website’s bounce rates remain high, or if you simply wish to further enhance the satisfaction of your users’ interactions on your website, then you’ve come to the right place! The following is a list of tips to improve the efficiency, usability, and accessibility of user interactions on a website to create a richer user experience through changes that are easy to implement, but make a world of a difference.

When considering the most important section of a website, most people tend to think of it as the home page. While this is true in most cases where the home page is how users land on a website, it is largely due to how the home page directs you to all of the other sections of the website.  

However, other pages on the site may not visibly have the option to navigate onto other sections. Keeping the website’s menu in clear view, in a position where it is easily accessible, is crucial for users. They must be able to navigate throughout a website from any one of its sections, not just the home page. 

In the same vein as our previous tip, highlighting links to make them immediately visible makes things easier for the user. Highlighting links through a different color, font, line weight, or underlining allows them to be noticed in the midst of other text right away. Links take users to and from pages, allow them to start processes, and are essential to engagement on a website, so make sure that they are easily identifiable and clickable.

Each and every one of the headlines on a website should properly correspond with what visitors on the site are looking for. Selecting the right keywords for headlines grabs your target audience’s attention, and better facilitates their browsing experience, which encourages further content consumption once they are sure that what they read in a headline is exactly what they’ll get from the page. 

In addition to improving the user experience in a no-frills way, incorporating the right headlines also improves search engine optimization. When you keep your headlines straightforward, with the right, targeted keywords, their searchability improves and more users will be able to find just what they are looking for from your site after making a quick Google search.

A picture speaks a thousand words, and as such, the impressions that the images included one website are imperative when it comes to the split-second decision on whether or not they will browse through other sections or click out. Headers, illustrative graphics, icons, and other images all allow you to highlight information that’s relevant for the users. 

Moreover, using original images over generic stock images lets you better connect with users as they are more easily identifiable and more trustworthy. Not every image needs to be an original, as long as the ones that are are placed strategically, in key positions on a page where they can be the focal point amidst the text.  Visual content is just as important to users and consumers, and it is important to incorporate it wisely onto your website.

Call to actions buttons should appeal to consumers, and also be accessible. A catchy, concise message and visual distinction, like a different color, invoke the users’ interest and are much more likely to get them to use them as a way to navigate through pages and bring more conversions to your website. 

Building a responsive, mobile-friendly website is essential in this day and age where people browse websites on multiple devices. Your website needs to be compatible not only with desktops, but with smartphones and tablets. A good user experience for a consumer using one of these devices should complement the experience of using the webpage, and whether you create an app or a mobile user interface, this is something which cannot be ignored.

Include the same information that a user would find on the desktop site, and optimize the layout for a mobile experience. For example, place the buttons where they can be reached with a single touch to the screen, where one’s thumb can easily swipe across.

While pop-ups are used by countless websites, the vast majority of people find them annoying and to be something that interferes with a better user experience. This is not to say they should not be used at all, but that they should be used sparingly. Don’t bombard users with pop-ups on the home page, or the moment that they click something.

For example, using a pop-up to inform users of a promotion or offer that is currently running can be an efficient way to convey that information. But if they are not interested, then users should also easily be able to dismiss it. Keeping the close button visible and easy to hit, instead of small and in a corner where it is hard to click on, keeps users from being annoyed by them, and they are more likely to actually pay attention to the information that they are providing.

When building web pages, it is important to keep them consistent with each. Keeping the color schemes, fonts, tonality, headings, illustration styles, button shapes, and more congruent and constant throughout the website not only creates a cohesive aesthetic, but a more practical user experience

If your website changes style drastically per section, then it can take visitors out of the experience since they’ll have to adjust to the differences after having quickly gotten used to one style. They expect the rest of the site to be set up the same way, and keeping up with these expectations provides a better user experience, and allows them to navigate the site with ease. In addition to this, maintaining a consistent look for your website lets you create a recognizable brand for the website among the thousands others out there in the online space. 

Considered one of the most important elements of great website design, adding negative or white space around your content can make it more prominent on the page. Leaving room between text and images draws more attention to them, and leaves an open, inviting impression on visitors. 

Not every page requires negative space, and it is important to use it wisely in order to enhance certain pieces of content—such as call to action buttons and promotional images—so that there is a good balance on the page. This keeps it from looking too cluttered, and the increased legibility means a better user experience.

With elements such as drop-down menus, links, images, pop-ups and more on your website, it is important to optimize loading speeds. Each extra second that it takes for a page to load means a greater chance of a visitor choosing to leave, and ultimately a greater chance of a higher abandonment rate. No one likes to wait, and for an experience that lets users immediately get to what they are looking for, then take the necessary measures to optimize your website’s loading speeds, such as using lightweight images.