How to Make Your Website More User-Friendly

Understand Your Audience

Define Your Target Audience

Conduct User Research

• Gathering data is key. You can use several tools to get insights into user behaviour.
  Surveys: Ask users directly about their experiences and what they want to see.
• Heatmaps: These tools show where users click, move, and scroll, revealing which parts of
  your site get the most attention.
• Analytics: Website analytics show how users find your site and what pages they visit,
  helping you understand their journey.

Create User Personas

Simplify Navigation

• Nobody likes feeling lost. Your website’s navigation should be so simple that a first-time visitor can
  find their way around without any trouble. If users have to think too hard, you’ve already lost them.
• Keep It Intuitive: Menus should be clearly labelled and organised logically. Stick to
  familiar conventions, like placing the main menu at the top of the page.
• Use Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs are navigational aids that show users their current location
  on your site. They look something like this: Home > Services > Web Design. They help
  users backtrack easily without hitting the ‘back’ button repeatedly.
• Limit Menu Options: Too many choices can be overwhelming. Keep your main menu
  clean and focused on the most important pages. A cluttered menu makes it difficult for users
  to find what they’re looking for.

Optimise for Mobile Devices

• More people browse the internet on their phones than on desktops. If your website isn’t easy to use on a small screen, you are alienating a huge portion of your audience.
• Responsive Design: Your website must have a responsive design, meaning it automatically adjusts to fit any screen size. Text should be readable, and buttons should be easy to tap.
• Test Across Devices: Don’t just assume your site works on mobile. Use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check its performance on different devices and browsers.
• Prioritise Speed: Mobile users are often on the go and expect pages to load quickly. Slow load times are a major reason visitors abandon a site.

Improve Page Load Speed

• Compress Images: Large image files are one of the biggest causes of slow websites. Use
  tools to compress your images without sacrificing too much quality.
• Minimise Code: Clean up your website’s code by minifying CSS, JavaScript, and HTML.
  This process removes unnecessary characters from the code, making the files smaller and
  faster to load.
• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN stores copies of your website on servers
  around the world. When a user visits your site, they are served content from the server
  closest to them, which drastically reduces load times.
• Focus on Readability
  Your content could be brilliant, but it won’t matter if it’s hard to read. Good readability keeps users
  engaged and helps them absorb your message.
• Use Clear Fonts: Choose fonts that are easy to read. Sans-serif fonts like Arial or Open
  Sans are often a good choice for body text. Make sure the font size is large enough to be
  read comfortably on all devices.
• Break Up Text: No one wants to read a giant wall of text. Use headings, subheadings, short
  paragraphs, and bullet points to break up your content and make it scannable.
• Choose Contrasting Colours: Ensure there is enough contrast between your text and
  background colours. Black text on a white background is the most readable combination.
  Avoid using light-coloured text on a light background.

Enhance Visual Design

• Consistent Branding: Keep your branding consistent across your entire website. Use the
  same colours, fonts, and imagery to create a cohesive experience that builds trust.
• Add High-Quality Images: Relevant, high-quality images and graphics can make your content more engaging. They help break up text and illustrate your points.
• Include Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs) A call-to-action tells your users what you want them to do next. Whether it’s “Buy Now,” “SignUp,” or “Learn More,” your CTAs need to be obvious and compelling.
• Make CTAs Stand Out: Use contrasting colours and strategic placement to make your CTA buttons impossible to miss.
• Be Specific: Use clear, action-oriented language. Instead of a vague “Submit,” try something more specific like “Get Your Free Quote.”
• Test and Optimise: Don’t guess what works best. Use A/B testing to try out different CTA colours, text, and placements to see which version gets the most clicks.

Ensure Accessibility

• Follow Accessibility Guidelines: Familiarise yourself with the Web Content Accessibility
  Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines provide a framework for making your site more
  accessible.
• Add Alt Text to Images: Alt text is a short description of an image that is read aloud by
  screen readers for visually impaired users. It also helps search engines understand what your
  images are about.
• Keyboard Navigation: Make sure your entire website can be navigated using only a
  keyboard. This is essential for users who cannot use a mouse.

Test and Gather Feedback

• Conduct Usability Testing: Watch real users interact with your website. This is one of the
  best ways to identify pain points you might have missed.
• Use Analytics Tools: Tools like Google Analytics provide valuable data on user behaviour.
• Track metrics like bounce rate, time on page, and conversion rates to measure your site’s
  performance.
• Iterate Based on Feedback: Use the feedback and data you collect to make ongoing
  improvements. Building a user-friendly website is a continuous process, not a one-time
  project.

Start Improving Your Website Today

Contact Nua Web Design Ireland Today