The last thing you want for a visitor to your website is for them to have to think. Sounds crazy? Not if you stop and think about it. If your visitors have to think about how to use your website and what the message is, they’re gone. A user-friendly website is thus a must.
Make sure the visitor has to read as little as possible
Less is more. Keep your message concise, simple and to the point. Too much text distracts your visitor from the essence. The readability and usability of your content is also influenced by the font, white space and text color. So be sure to give this some serious thought as well.
Show rather than tell
Web pages are scanned, not read. Only if the scanned content proves useful will the visitor pick out a specific part to read. Therefore, make sure you have a very clear and visual page structure with titles, subtitles, paragraphs, text blocks… Also make sure that all buttons and links are directly visible and clickable, even when using mobile devices.
Make searching and browsing your website easy
It is very important that your visitors can move easily through your website without getting lost. Your visitors should always be able to see where they are and where they are going. Therefore, make sure you have a clear and intuitive menu bar that conveys the essence of your products and services. Be sure to integrate a search bar and a home button in your menu bar.
Have an inviting and clear homepage
Your homepage is the online face of your business. When designing the ideal homepage, you need to ask yourself a few questions: what exactly does your target audience need? What does your visitor want to know the very first time they interact with your brand? Then make sure your homepage contains or reflects the answers to the questions below:
- Brand identity: who are you?
- Your product or service: what do you do?
- Your value: what problem do you solve?
- A clear page structure
- Current promotions
- Clear call-to-actions such as Subscribe, Buy, Book, Download, Free Trial, …
A user-friendly website is also mobile-optimised
In recent years, online traffic has experienced a serious shift from primarily desktop to primarily mobile. In addition, the screen sizes of mobile devices can vary enormously. Make sure that your website provides an optimal user experience on every possible mobile device and screen size. A user-friendly website is only successful when it is responsive.
Online forms: as short as possible
Keep your online forms short and logical. Don’t ask for ‘optional’ information. If it’s optional, why ask for it? Ask only for the essential information that you actually need at that moment. For example, the online form for a newsletter should ideally only ask for a name and e-mail address. At that moment, as a company, you definitely don’t need a physical address.
In conclusion
It is not always easy to build a website based on the needs and wishes of the customer. After all, you know your product and service like the back of your hand and you are keen to share this information and knowledge with your visitors. However, always keep in mind that if you build a user-friendly website simply and concisely, you will eventually respond better to the wishes and needs of your visitors. In the long run, this will result in more loyal visitors, longer visit times and more conversions. And in the end, that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?
