8 Ways To Create Exceptional Web Design, Usability, And User Experience
Don’t judge a website by its cover. An aesthetically pleasing landing page is not where web design ends. Businesses need to take into consideration all elements of user experience, usability, and overall design of their website because the website’s main goal is to represent and communicate the brand. Applying a few guidelines to your company’s website are key to creating above par user experience and increase conversions.
- Keep It Simple
It’s easy for users to become lost in a website design that is overly complicated or busy. While a website needs to be pleasing to the eye, the user isn’t visiting your site to entertain themselves. They are there to find information or complete an action.
- Graphics: Only use if it will help the user complete a task.
- Type: Keep it readable. Don’t use more than three different typefaces and no more than three sizes.
- Colour: Don’t be flashy. No more than five colours in website design.
- Organise Website Elements
Just as a funnel directs matter into its final destination, a website’s design needs to direct the user to the most important elements first. The goal is to provide easy and natural navigation for the user to complete the action or buying or discovering the information they are searching.
By positioning aspects such as menu bars, text size, and text or image colouring you can ease a users navigation or direct them to certain elements which are deemed important.
- Navigational Ease
47% of website visitors check out a company’s products or services page before looking at any other section of the site. A website that is easy to navigate ensures visitors remain locked in and find what they are looking for. Otherwise, they might just leave.
- Keep navigation simple and include it on the bottom and the top, and include a search box.
- Use breadcrumbs, so visitors know where they have navigated.
- Try not to offer navigation more than three levels deep.
- Include links in the page copy and clarify what they lead to.
- Remain Consistent
A company’s brand and marketing are most successful when they work in synergy and remain consistent. This concept needs to follow through with the website design. Color schemes and the tone of a website should stay consistent from page to page to create a pleasant user experience.
Creating specific types of pages for topics such as information or landing pages help users navigate and remain clear as to what they are looking at.
- Accessibility
Technology has created accessibility worldwide and virtually available anytime. Users are searching on tablets and phones, making purchases through apps, and learning on the go. A company’s website needs to be compatible with any device and procuring a website structure that is flexible to keep up with demand.
Text and images look drastically different on a mobile device than they look on a computer. Ensuring your website will conform with different platforms will enhance user experience and build brand awareness.
- Keep Certain Conventions
If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Keep elements that users are familiar with and don’t try to be so unique it throws people off. Navigation menus and clickable logos are just a few of the conventions users know and are comfortable with.
- Credibility
Making sure your website displays information clearly and concisely helps build credibility. Keep information honest and navigation easy to maintain trust in your brand. A great example of honesty is including prices and upfront information about products and services so that users don’t have to dig around or get frustrated attempting to find what they want.
- User Centric
The final take away is that a businesses website is created for the user. Getting feedback and continually updating elements to keep up with user preferences will ensure your website remains user centric.
User experience, usability, and web design present obstacles that are overcome by simplifying the processes a user takes to gather information. A little research and evaluation will go a long way in maintaining consistency throughout your brand and website. Find out more about our website design services.
