User experience is something that a lot of website developers forget about. While most people nowadays have basic computer skills, some people are still not great at navigating through websites designed by computer engineers without regard to the average person without advanced technical knowledge. These are some tips of things to have or to avoid while making or improving your website.
Adding a Search Bar
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A long website with a lot of information can be difficult to sort through for the average user. Having a site search solution makes your website act more like a search engine. This makes it much easier for your users to find exactly what they want without having to wade through vast oceans of information that isn’t relevant to their initial query. Not everyone is a computer engineer, so you should always allow for laymen’s terms as keywords for your search bar. Most of your users are probably not going to know all the same particular jargon you do.
Make Your Site Secure
Letting people know your site is a secure place to do their business is vital. It allows people peace of mind while online. Everyone has heard about the countless scams and computer viruses that plague the internet, and without the knowledge of whether or not your website is secure from these will make any potential user hesitant to click links or use your business. Also, don’t forget to let your users know that you have a safe and secure website. Payment seals are the best way to show you are safe. If you don’t take payment online, make sure you have little to no third-party advertising. Too many banner ads and annoying popups are a big red flag for users.
Keep it Fast
Too many professional websites have large backdrops, music, or embedded videos that instantly play. This eats up bandwidth and causes computers with lower graphics or slower internet to slow down or freeze up entirely, ensuring your users will never even see your website. That’s not to say you want to keep it bare, either. There is a good medium between the two where a user can come in and see a simple, yet professional website that runs smoothly and doesn’t destroy their framerate and suck up their bandwidth. Keeping pictures small and linking to videos rather than embedding them are two great ways to speed up your site without sacrificing quality.
Consider Your Mobile Users
A lot of users aren’t on home computers any more. Phones and tablets can visit non-mobile sites, but the experience is usually very poor, as these sites weren’t designed to be viewed on vertical screens. Make sure your font size is large enough to be read on small screens as users won’t want to have to continuously zoom in and out to read. Having a mobile version of your site will be greatly appreciated by your users, as it’ll be easier for them view everything and find the information they may need.
Standardization
Every business wants to stand out, but keeping your website conventional allows your users to experience a certain familiarity. In other words, the professionals do uniformity for a reason. Keeping your logo in a corner is a good way to start. This shows your users they’re on the correct site. Make sure you have tabs to other pages on your site, and keep them in a bar near the top. Social media links are usually kept at the bottom either in the center or off to the right. Your search engine should be near the top right, sometimes in a corner. Contact information should be at the top by your logo or at the bottom of the page. Sometimes sites will make a specific tab for contacting their company. This is also acceptable. Finally, keep all text easy to read. Black text on a white background is easiest. White text on a dark background is also easy, but fatiguing to the eyes. Any kind of colored text can come off as obnoxious and clash with your background. Keeping your site looking uniform with other sites they may visit makes your users see that you are professional, and will make navigating your site much easier for them.
Please—No Pop-Ups
Pop-up ads are the worst! It’s infuriating to be in the middle of reading a page and suddenly you’re jarringly interrupted by a giant floating block of text for something you don’t care about. Some sites still use them because they believe it ‘grabs the user’s attention’. This is true, in a way. It grabs their attention and makes them want to throw their computer out the window and never go back to that site again. Pop-up ads also look unprofessional and could make people wary of viruses that might be just a single click away. Remember, if you want a secure-looking professional site, don’t use pop-ups.