How to Improve Usability of a Website

A great design on your website may get rave reviews from your customers, but you may be compromising your usability for that design. The usability of a website is simply how easy it is to use your website. Obviously, the easier it is to use, the longer a visitor will stay and the better chance that they will return. Follow these steps to help improve the usability of your website.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Set up your navigation system so that it is easy to use and simple to understand. This is the first aspect of usability that you should change. Remember that a frustrated visitor is a visitor who leaves quickly.
2. Provide information for visitors that lets them know about your website. Either on your homepage or on an "About" page, explain to visitors, in simple terms, the purpose of your website and what the website can do for them.
3. Get rid of those big graphics and flash movies. Visitors want to get the information they need in an instant. Speed is very important here, and if you have a ton of large graphics or other elements, it's best to delete them and concentrate on the speed of your site. These elements will result in a long download time.
4. Create a sitemap. A sitemap is the whole navigation structure of your website all on one page. Visitors can use the sitemap to not only quickly get to a page, but also to get an overall idea of what your website covers.
5. Check to see that your website is easy to read. Make sure that your font size is big enough, your colors contrast nicely and your headings stand out. This is especially important if you have lots of content.
6. Test your website to make sure it works for your visitors. Test each of your links to make sure that they work correctly. In addition, test to see if your site can be viewed in all browsers.