Tips on Making Your Website User-friendly

We are all aware that websites are a necessary marketing tool for the modern business, but some miss out on customers because their websites are not easy to use. If a prospective customer finds it hard to navigate your site, they are likely to take their business to competitor. Websites, like apps, should be user friendly and clear in their intentions, if they are going to be successful. Here are some tips to make it happen.

Tip#1: Make your website mobile and tablet friendly. In 2015 the BBC realised that a large amount of their visitors were using mobile devices, but their website was not designed for use on these platforms, so they changed it. A lot of people don’t use desktops or laptops anymore, and rely on smaller devices. Due to this, designers must ensure that the website is flexible and available on all devices, to ensure the maximum amount of traffic.

Tip#2: Placing your logo and important information in the top-left of the page will give your brand maximum exposure. A great example of this is Betway’s website, at this luxury online casino you can see their logo in striking white and blue colours. As we are used to reading from the top left corner of a page in a book, we are instinctively drawn to that area of a page when using the internet.

Tip#3: Easy to read text is a must. When designing the website, don’t bother with a calligraphic font that nobody can decipher. Clean typography will make a huge difference to a user experience.

Tip#4: Pick a colour scheme that fits your intentions and the personality of the business. Take the website for The Independent, as an example. They use a very clear black and white colour scheme (they have also placed their logo in the top left and have their navigation at the top of the page). This choice of colour is clear and simple; it is almost transparent – as reliable news source aims to be. They are aware that they do not need an elaborate design to draw in the users as it is the content that they visit the website for. Other types of websites may need to use different colour schemes to draw in their target audience in – a site for baby clothes could use the traditional pastel colours.

Tip#5: Lastly, keeping the website layout consistent. If you have decided on a theme or layout for your website, it is advisable to keep it the same on every single page, or at the least; for groups of pages. This makes the content easier for people to understand and use. While being original and unique in design may set your business apart from the rest, it may put off potential readers or clients. Consistency is also useful when someone is viewing your website via different platforms. If they first see it on a computer, and again on a mobile phone, they will be expecting the design to be the same, just slightly adapted to fit a different screen size.