4 Ways to Make Your Website More Convenient and User-Friendly

4 Ways to Make Your Website More Convenient and User-Friendly

Building a website is typically expensive, but it is worth every penny to your business. A great website will bring in new leads and boost sales. But if you aren’t careful with the design, elements on your website can actually drive your leads away. It is important to avoid those common mistakes and focus on what will provide your visitor with an amazing experience instead.

Responsive Design

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Image via Flickr by axbom

One of the most annoying design elements to irritate your users is failing to design for mobile devices. The Pew Research Center found that by the end of 2014, 90 percent of American adults owned a cell phone and nearly half of all adults (42 percent) own a tablet. Over half (63 percent) say they are using their phones to browse the Internet. Internet pages are commonly designed for a laptop or desktop screen and do not translate well to smaller screens without responsive design.

Responsive design allows a website to adjust based on the screen size. Whether the user is on a laptop, tablet, desktop, iPhone, Android, or something else, the design elements adjust so that the navigation is easy, the buttons are big enough, the font is readable, and the images fit on the screen. Design for a mobile phone is typically one long, scrolling page, while a larger computer screen utilizes a longer, horizontal layout.

Predictive Personalization

If you’ve ever used a site that recommended new products based on items you had looked at or purchased (EBay, Amazon, Blinq, Finish Line, etc.), then you have seen predictive personalization at work. You can set up your website to give the customer a customized experience based on previous actions.

Be careful not to get too aggressive with this and cause a Big Brother scare; technologically based companies have recently been causing concern over how much information is collected and retained on individuals. Stick with the expected (information based on purchases or views on your site), and don’t mine information that wasn’t handed directly to you by your customer.

Streamlined Navigation

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Image via Flickr by odolphie

Websites are like small mazes when their navigation is not straightforward. Remember that your design should make the user able to get where he or she needs to go in as few clicks as possible (especially if users are heading towards purchase). You will need a website designer who understands good page navigation, efficient design, and user expectations, which is highly dependent on your target audience.

Upfront Promo Codes

It’s more than annoying when a company requires you to get halfway through the checkout process before showing what your promo code can do. Some companies allow you to select or enter promo codes at the beginning of your visit to keep your discount visible and allow you to watch how each item added to the cart reflects the discount.

At the end of your design process, the goal is to have a website all about the customer experience and not about you as the business owner. With user-friendly design, customers will be more likely to stay on the page and have a good look around.