You might think you have a thoughtfully designed website, but have you actually tested its usability?
If your site makes it difficult for users to obtain certain information, or if it isn’t optimized for viewing on different screens, then you might be contributing to a poor user experience (UX).
Poor UX is bad for business and can deter users from visiting your site. It’s important to identify the causes to ensure your site is as effective as possible.
Here are 4 telltale signs of a poor user experience.
Confusing navigation
How useful is a website’s navigation if it doesn’t actually navigate you through the site? Spoiler alert: not very.
If the layout and design of your website’s navigation is unclear and difficult to use, it will confuse and frustrate your audience.
When a user comes to your site, they’re looking for specific information. Your site’s navigation should tell them where to go and how to get there simply and easily.
If your site’s menu bar has several, cluttered drop-down sections and subpages, or if your site lacks a search bar and a way to return home, then your users are going to grow frustrated and leave.
Navigation should be simple and intuitive, otherwise, you’re going to see a drop in conversions and higher bounce rates.
Lack of information
Consider this scenario: a prospective client is exploring your website and they decide you have a product or service that they want – great! However, they only want to do business with people in their area, so they search your site for location information and it isn’t there.
Now they have to leave your site and use a search engine to find the information they’re looking for.
Your website should have all of the important information your users might need in one place.
Contact forms, email addresses, location information, and social media links are all key pieces of vital information.
Making your users search for information elsewhere is bad for their experience and bad for business.
Accessibility
Accessibility means that a site is equally accessible to all people regardless of disabilities or impairments.
There are various types of cognitive and physical disabilities that need to be considered when designing a site, and there are several ways you can make your website more accessible to individuals with these conditions.
For example, if your site features a picture of a yellow daisy, then the alt text for that image should be as descriptive as possible. Avoid leaving alt text blank or as the image’s original file name so that a screen reader is able to accurately describe the image to someone with a visual impairment.
Additionally, video or audio elements should include captioning, links should have specific and descriptive names, and form fields should be labeled appropriately.
Considering the needs of users with disabilities and impairments will create a better user experience for everyone who accesses your site.
Not mobile friendly
People are accessing the mobile versions of websites now more than ever.
In fact, Google now indexes mobile sites first over desktop ones. This means it is vital for your site to be mobile friendly.
The layout of your mobile site should differ from your desktop version. For example, the buttons on your mobile site should be larger and optimized for tapping rather than the precision of a computer mouse.
Additionally, long-form content with small text should be reserved for desktop sites, whereas content on mobile should be short and snackable.
Designing an effective mobile site will allow a majority of your audience to interact positively with your site.
Websites should be simple, straightforward, and easy to use. Avoid frustrating your users by recognizing and addressing the signs of a poor user experience.
Once you evaluate your site for usability, you’ll be able to offer your users a better, more positive website experience.