7 Essentials for a User-Friendly Website
The internet has taken the world by storm, but not everyone has it all figured out. Most target audiences don’t consist solely of tech-savvy millennials – which means businesses need websites that are easy for anyone to use. A user-friendly website isn’t just an extra perk, it’s a necessary element for every brand and a must-have in order to be effective online. Here are seven essentials to make sure a website is simple and successful.
1. Easy to Skim Content
No one wants to visit a wordy website where it takes all day just to find the information they’re looking for. Web content should be straight to the point and easy to weed through so that anyone can find basic topics quickly. One way to do this is have bulleted lists, categories, drop-down menus, or something similar.
2. A Search Function
The search function allows someone to immediately narrow down all the content to just what they’re looking for. That way, they can get from the website’s homepage to the product or service they need as quickly and easily as possible. Adding a search function to a website will instantly increase its level of user-friendliness.
3. Social Media Links
Some people prefer to do their research on social media platforms (or maybe they want to follow the company for future deals or products). A customer may visit a website only once or twice, but social media opens the door to market to them on a daily basis. This keeps the information and advertising continuous.
4. Mobile-Friendly Design
Smart phones and tablets are one of the most popular ways that people access a website, so the design needs to accommodate for those users. A site should be configured to be mobile-friendly as well as desktop-friendly. Always test the website on a mobile device to ensure all users can easily find what they’re looking for.
5. A Simple, Functional Design
When it comes to a designing a website, the page should be modern and up-to-date. It needs to represent the brand’s voice and personality without being cluttered or over-the-top. Try using simple imagery and little text. Think of what website essentials businesses really need and cut back on the rest.
6. Fast Website Speed
The surest way to get a customer to click off a website is if it loads too slow. An easy way to fix this is to compress the code. Having more HTTP responses will slow down the website because it fills up the server with more traffic. If a website is running slowly, ask a web care professional what other solutions they can offer.
7. Hire a Professional
The best and most cost-effective way to have a fast performing, easy-to-use website is to bring in a professional. Hiring a web designer or content specialist to clean up a website will ensure that the site is user-friendly and easy to maneuver so that the company can focus on other important business elements.
Technology is changing every day and websites must change along with it. A website should be updated regularly to be sure that it still functions at peak capacity and makes things easy on a customer. A website is usually the first step in researching a company, so make a good first impression.