With more and more people preferring to conduct business exclusively online, a user-friendly website isn’t just desirable, it’s required if you want to be successful. These simple tips will help you instantly make your website more user-friendly so you can get more visitors and turn your website into a profit center.
1. Make your site responsive
With more than half of online searches coming from mobile devices, in order for a site to be user-friendly, it must be mobile-friendly. A responsive website gives every user a flawless online experience whether they’re viewing your site from a desktop, tablet or mobile device.
2. Place your logo in the top left
Your website absolutely must have your logo on it! Research shows the top left is the best place for your logo because this is where people’s eyes go first. If you don’t have your logo clearly displayed on your website, not only are you missing a prime branding opportunity, but you could also be confusing visitors who may think they’ve stumbled upon the wrong company’s website.
3. Include your contact information
If there’s one thing your website needs, it’s your logo. But if there are two things your website needs, it’s your logo AND your contact information. Without your contact information easily accessible on your website, you could be missing out on a lot of potential business. People are not going to work very hard to find this, so make sure it’s in an obvious place on your website.
The more information you include, the better because it allows people to contact you in whichever way is most convenient for them. A phone number, email address and business address will usually do the trick, but it doesn’t hurt to also include your hours of business so people know when they can reach you.
4. Accept online orders
Online shopping is a way of life now. People don’t like to be limited by store hours or location and don’t want to be bothered to have to go somewhere or call someone to place an order. Add full e-commerce capability to your website to allow visitors to shop your products or services online. This gives your clients the freedom to do business when and where they want. It also expands your list of potential clients to the World Wide Web.
5. Make content easy to skim
People rarely read anything word for word, but they’re more likely to read and understand the content on your website if it’s clear and concise. The best way to do this is by employing bulleted lists. That way, your website visitors can easily skim your website for the information they’re looking for.
6. Add search functionality
Have you ever been on a company’s website and left out of frustration because you were unable to find what you were looking for? Don’t let this happen to your web visitors! Adding search functionality makes it easy for visitors to quickly find exactly what they’re looking for.
7. Include your social media icons
A strong social media presence is a must for businesses who want to be successful now and in the future. If you have active social media accounts, add them to your website to grow your following. Your web visitors will love being able to connect with you in this less formal environment and you can keep them up to date on specials and promotions, new offerings and more via your social channels.
These are just a few of the ways you can instantly improve the usability of your website. Some other suggestions include improving your site’s navigation and speeding up your site’s load time. Don’t have time to make these improvements? No worries, you can still have a top-notch website. Contact me about maintaining your website for you.
Originally published on the SAGE Blog
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