Some people will tell you that they know all the answers when it comes to designing, building, or fixing any company’s website. But ask two of them for their biggest tips, and you’ll get competing answers.
“Make it faster.”
“Use more keywords.”
“Add a blog.”
For years, marketing experts could not agree on a single set of to-do’s when it came to making your website the best website it could possibly be. But here’s the good news: times have changed.
Experts agree: usability is the most important thing for your website.
When you make your website more usable, you make it better. That’s a promise.
Great, you’re thinking, but how do I do that? Glad you asked.
- Make it faster – your site needs to load in an instant. Today’s users will give up on you if it doesn’t.
- Design it for mobile – for most companies, at least 50% of their traffic now comes from mobile phones and tablets. If you don’t have a mobile-compatible version of your site, you’re falling behind.
- Simplify the navigation – there must be a clearly defined set of steps someone will take when they get to any page on your site. Use the navigation to help them find it.
- Eliminate distractions – anything that is not absolutely vital needs to go. I don’t care who wants it there if it’s not serving a critical function, remove it.
- Clear and easy contact info – when in doubt, help your visitors get in touch with you. Phone numbers, email forms, and live chat options are all must-haves. Not only that, but they should be staring your visitors in the face when they first arrive and anytime they get lost.
If you do the five things above, you are setting yourself up for improved results. When people can use your website to find what they’re looking for, you’ve created the best possible version of your website.