New Title
I bet you didn't know that 89% of website users end up leaving that site to work with somebody else because of a bad user experience.
That's a lot of potential clients to lose out on, all because your website wasn't up to their standards - and user standards are getting higher every year.
Users expect a certain level of accessibility when surfing the web: as they should, it is 2022, after all. The days of slow-loading websites with hard-to-use navigation are behind us.
One of the critical things to meeting your users' expectations is ensuring that your website is user-friendly.
If your visitor can't navigate your website or can't read your content, then you're in trouble. Not only won't they be able to understand what you're offering, but they also won't be able to find your contact information to get in contact with you!
But how can you tell if your website is user-friendly?
Today we'll let you in on five things to look out for when deciding whether or not your website is user-friendly, how you can improve your website and how you can make sure it stays user-friendly for years to come.
Does It Load Quickly?
Your website has to load quickly. If it doesn't, people will get bored of waiting and clicking away before you even get a chance to introduce your products and services.
47% of people expect a web page to load in two seconds or less, and if it loads any slower, they're gone.
Seriously, people don't want to do business with a company whose website loads as if it's using dial-up. They want a speedy website or they’ll click away to your competition.
Increasing your website loading speed will also help prevent the loss of 7% of your possible conversions.
How do you improve your website load time?
If you've completed a speed test and realized your website is taking too long to load, then try implementing these techniques to speed up your load time.
- Minimize HTTP requests
- Minify or combine your files
- Reduce server response time
- Choose the right hosting option - shared hosting, although cheapest, often takes a long time to load
- Enable compression to make your files smaller
- Enable browser caching
- Reduce image sizes
- Use a CDN (Content Delivery Network)
- Don't use as many plugins on your site
If this all sounds like a complicated list of jargon, then bringing in an experienced developer (like us!) to help you reduce your load time might be the best option.
Is The Navigation Easy To Use?
Having a clear and simple navigation on your website is vital to its usability. If your user can't find what they're looking for in a matter of moments, then they're going to give up and leave your website.
Your navigation should:
- Have a simple menu
- Be clutter-free
- Have a limited number of essential menu items
This means they can find exactly what they came to your website for without having to search for it.
But, these aren't the only things you should be concerned about when it comes to your navigation. Your navigation is much more than your nav bar and drop-down menus.
When building a user-friendly navigation system, be sure to include:
- A detailed search option
- High-quality internal linking
- A clever 404 page - with links back to the main menu
- Informative headers and footers
- Access to the entire site map
If you've ticked off all of these for your navigation, then your users will have no problem finding their way around your website.
Is The Content Clear & Concise?
Content is a vital aspect of your website. It's how your visitors figure out what you do. It's how you show them why they should work with you.
If your content is wordy, confusing, or even a bit cryptic, then your users are going to find it incredibly difficult to decipher what it is you're trying to sell them.
Writing content for your website that your users can understand is crucial. It helps reduce your bounce rate and keep your visitors engaged with what you have to say for longer.
Having clear and concise content also helps to build trust with your readers and positions you as a knowledgeable industry figure.
Plus, readability can also affect your SEO (search engine optimization). When Google decides which websites are the most important, it scans your content for relevant and valuable information. This takes readability into account, and if Google can't understand it, your audience isn't going to either.
The best ways to improve your content's readability is by;
- Using appropriate headings and subheadings
- Adding in number or bullet lists
- Avoiding long paragraphs or walls of text
- Adding in a mixture of images to break up text
- Using bold and italic
- Avoiding using all caps
- Using graphs or tables to break up complex information
Is The Design Pleasing To Look At?
94% of first impressions are related to your website's design. If your website isn't up to your user's beauty standards, then you'll end up losing a few potential clients.
First impressions are everything! If your user loses interest the second they see your website, then it might be time to get yourself some new design work.
An old or outdated design makes you look like an old, obsolete company. Consumers also get uneasy when they load up a website and it looks like it was made over a decade ago.
Giving your website the facelift it deserves is a great way to improve user satisfaction and increase your trustworthiness as a brand.
How Can You Make Sure Your Website Stays User-Friendly?
Keeping your website user-friendly at all times is the real challenge!
Improving your website's usability isn't a set it and forget it activity. You have to keep making sure your visitors have a positive experience every time they visit your website.
To keep your audience happy, consider booking a professional website audit to ensure your website is working in top condition.
A website audit will help you identify what's working, what needs improving, and what's not working.
We hope we've been able to help you figure out why having a user-friendly website is essential to your online presence.
Start improving your website's usability today by talking to a team of website experts.
The team at 406 Marketing is here to help you enhance your visibility and reach your goals in the online world. We're masters at helping small businesses, just like you, succeed online.
Start thriving online with some help from our team -
get in touch today.