8 Simple Steps to Improve Your Website's User Experience
An important factor to consider that affects your search engine results ranking is how well your website engages with your visitors. It’s not all about inserting keywords all over your website. You have to make sure that you are providing relevant and engaging content to your target audience. Aside from that, you have to make it easy and convenient for them to navigate your website and interact with it. You can also set-up some website monitoring so you will be notified when a bug/problem arises and it will help you to immediately fix it.
This concept and principle that takes into account the experience of the user are becoming more popular in website design and for a good reason. If you want to improve the user experience on your website, then there are several practices that you can try.
Perform A/B tests
A/B testing, also known as split testing, is when you create two different web pages to compare and contrast results with.
Both of the web pages will be shown to different kinds of users to determine which one is better based on statistical results concerning the goals for your website. When you perform this type of testing to optimize your website, it helps ensure that you are on a constant grind for improvement. It will be a trial and error process for sure, but it’s a right way of slowly tweaking your website to be at its most optimum stage.
Don’t underestimate these small changes that you make on your website. They can have quite an effect on the overall results, much more than you would believe.
Optimize page loading time
One of the ways you can improve the user experience on your website is by making sure that your website loads fast. Nothing will make a user less interested in engaging with a website than a page that doesn’t load fast enough.
If visitors on your site tend to leave immediately after they click on a link that leads to your site, then it can increase your bounce rate. The bounce rate is the rate with which users leave your website quickly upon entering it. This can lead you to have a lower ranking on search results. Plus, you will be unable to get any more guests into your website who may end up converting.
Incorporate compelling CTAs
A small feature, but important nonetheless, that you can find on a lot of people’s web pages are their call-to-action buttons. There are lots of buttons pushing people to do the desired action on their website, but what makes a CTA button more compelling than others?
Well, in some cases, a simple color change can do the trick. As long as you make sure that the CTA button stands out enough that it contrasts from the website, then click rates can be surprisingly higher than before. Aside from that, the phrasing on the button is also something you need to keep in mind. Don’t forget to test which ones work the best so that you can dial down on the ones that do.
Beware of 404 errors
404 errors on a website are annoying. Even if search engines won’t discriminate against websites who have these errors pop up on their sites, it is still ineffective and is a hindrance to trying to keep your website visitor engaged.
Imagine that you have managed to persuade a visitor to further look into something that you have provided on your website. Once they click the link, they end up with a 404 error. It will be discouraging to stay any longer on the site.
With that said, you need to make sure that all the links that you are inputting are working. You can do this by installing a plugin that allows 301 redirect for WordPress.It is also a good idea to conduct regular checks in case your website has dead links that need redirecting.
Color matters
The color scheme that you choose for your website isn’t all about pure branding and aesthetics. The color that you want to decorate your website with has a lot of say in the way the eye of the users moves throughout your site.
If your website is too stark and intense with the color scheme, it can be tiring for the eyes to look at so users may click away. Make sure that you have a harmonic blend of colors that are appealing to the eyes and that you use contrasting colors on the things that you want to emphasize on the site.
Use white space
Speaking of color, the absence of color is another way you can modify the user experience of your website. By the lack of color, we mean the use of white space to create a cleaner and more open look for your website.
If the website’s layout feels too crowded, users may find your website too uncanny and untrustworthy. The claustrophobic sense is never appealing no matter what industry you’re in. It is kind of reminiscent of pop-ups which take up space on the screen all of a sudden.
Balance out content and white space on your website to create a harmonious layout that helps make it easier for your users to navigate the space. Minimalistic website designs are all the rage these days.
Website security is a necessity
User experience isn’t all about the overall navigability of the site. One other factor you should consider is the appearance of website security. Users need to feel assured that their information isn’t being taken without their permission.
Make sure that you get the right security certifications in place to let users know that browsing and staying around in your website is safe.
Make your website responsive
Mobile devices are becoming a more frequent part of life these days, so you need to keep this in mind when making your website. Nothing is more tedious for a mobile device user than when they encounter a site that isn’t mobile-friendly.
Make sure that in your effort to create the best user experience that you don’t forget your mobile phone users.
Wrap up
There are many simple steps, and ways you can enact that will help improve your website’s user experience. Not only will it be useful for getting business results for your website, but it also prioritizes the needs and wants of your target audience. This is why you should always look for ways to develop the user experience for your site.