Usability is often defined as ‘a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use.’ There are certain best web design practices that promote ease of use, an excellent retention rate and high end-user satisfaction. Below are five tips to help you with better usability on your website:.Intuitive navigation
There are certain design principles that every designer will follow no matter which company or industry their client is from. Navigation learned behaviour – users want to move from website to website seamlessly and find the information they require very quickly and easily. It is best practice that users only ever have to navigate three levels to find the information they require.
Easy to read content
Writing for the web is different to print media. Generally, people often have more time to read a magazine or a book than view websites. Website content and copy needs to be concise, use plain English and the active voice. Writing for the web best practices to increase readability on a website includes:
- Use of headings.
- Small paragraphs (ideally one idea per paragraph).
- Bullet points
- Writing text in pyramid style (from most important copy to least important).
- Excellent use of white space and visuals to break up text and make it easier to read.
- Internal linking to direct visitors to other pages for more information.
- Using visual information such as a flowchart.
Better quality images
Clear and large images are another way to facilitate usability on your website. A great example is a hotel website may display images of the hotel rooms, the facilities, the foyer and the location. A big part of booking a hotel room is the use of visual imagery to tell a story about a hotel in images as well as words. It is common to add an image gallery to a website.
Good use of white space
When it comes to white space less is definitely more. The use of whitespace often gives your website harmony and allows your visitors to absorb the contents on the page. Depending on the design aesthetic you are trying to achieve and the target market, the use of white space can also add a certain sophistication and elegance to your website.
Faster loader times
Google has long recognised that a faster loading time promotes usability on a website. Google has introduced page speed (how quickly a website responds to web requests) as a new signal in their search ranking algorithms. The Search Engine has done research on page speed and their findings show that when a site responds slowly, visitors spend less time on the site. There are plenty of ways to increase your site speed such as optimising image sizes.
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Melbourne and online marketing, get in touch with Whiteblack Digital on
1300 559 971 or info@whiteblackdigital.com.au.
