Most of us can honestly say that we have left a particular website because it was difficult to use or not loading fast enough. Truth be told, it’s easy for us as consumers to leave a site if it doesn’t provide us with the answers we need quickly and easily. But if you are a website owner, it’s an altogether different matter – you can understand how essential it is to convert your visitors into leads and eventual paying customers. But if you want to focus on the user-friendliness of your website and would like to ensure that it can retain visitors, here’s a list of best practices to have a more user-friendly website in 2021.
- Make sure it’s mobile-optimised
One surefire way to have a more user-friendly website is to make your site mobile-optimised. Your website needs to be easily accessible even to those using gadgets and mobile devices. Did you know that a whopping 92 per cent of users will access the Net with their mobile device? This is more than enough reason to transition to a mobile-friendly website, and the first step is to ensure that you have a responsive website theme. You can take advantage of various themes that can match multiple screen sizes, for instance. But it doesn’t stop there – even if your site is already mobile-friendly, it’s essential to optimise your layout and focus on making it easy for anyone to browse through your site using just a hand or even a finger.
- Choose standard design features/elements
If you plan to redesign your site, it’s often tempting to get as creative as possible because you want it to stand out. But there’s a time and place to be creative, and it wouldn’t do to become too creative with your website’s functionality. Innovation is great, but save it for your services or products and advertising campaigns. In terms of usability, it will always be better to stick to standard design practices for your website, as advised by website design experts like Expre.
Most people expect certain elements when they land on a website. These include seeing a logo on the top portion of the screen, and it also includes seeing contact info on the top rightmost corner of the screen. In addition, we all identify with a horizontal navigation bar for the main menu at each page’s top portion, and the same goes for a search bar on the site’s header. People are familiar with such elements and where they are placed, and you will only confuse them if you don’t follow the standard. With your CTA design, logo, and images, you can get as creative as you want, but not with standard design features/elements.
- Establish hierarchy
You would also want to establish a specific hierarchy in your website visuals. Make it easy for your website visitors to identify and understand what they see once they land on a page. Even if getting creative with your images matters, it would also be better not to overdo it. Rather than have 20 graphics and images on a page, stick with one or two key images. It’s essential to establish a hierarchy in your visuals, and the most important features of your page should draw the eye and become a focal point naturally.