How to make your website ultra-user-friendly

Concise content

All of the content on your website needs to be easy to read, clear and engaging. It needs to flow well whilst drawing your reader in.  Start each paragraph with

a strong and direct point so that if visitors are scanning the page, they’ll be

able to pick up the essential points quickly. Use bullet points to list information and isolate key facts. Bold and highlight significant words and phrases to really make them stand out. Use rhetorical questions. 

These will read well and can be a chance to sub-categorise your information. It also shows you have tried to tap into the thought process of your audience and are therefore attempting to connect on a personal level which is always a winner. Separating your text into sections will make it more digestible to the reader and therefore easier to remember. 

Don’t overwhelm them with information as they will lose interest and your point will be lost on them. Having columns will make it easier to read, similar to the format of a newspaper. 

This is sure to make a huge difference.

 

Easy navigation

Placing your menu at the top of the page is wise as this is where users would normally expect to find it. Making the navigation the same on each of your pages will make it easier to browse the site. You’ll need to make linking back to the homepage as simple as possible. Try adding a link to home from the logo or company name at the top of the page.

 

Broken links

There is nothing more annoying than clicking on a link to find out that it’s not working. This gives the impression of a broken and faulty site. Make sure you monitor your links regularly to check they are working properly and pointing to the correct page.

 

Clear spacing

When arranging your content, ensure that there is sufficient space between each paragraph and sentence. The same applies when using images. Seeing text and images squashed together onto a page looks unprofessional and rushed – plenty of space gives your content room to breathe.

 

Relevant images

Images should be sized to fit in with your text. Think of your image in relation to the page to avoid it looking too large or small. Also, make your image relevant to your text. Your visitors will be confused if they are reading text on your site which then jumps to an unrelated image. It should complement your text,

not send out mixed messages. A good image will convey your message more efficiently and can make all the difference when your reader is digesting and visualising information.

 

Readable font

Avoid using fonts that are hard to read. Elaborate styles may seem appealing but you need to make sure they are universally recognisable. It needs to be of

a size that everyone can read. Remember you’ll have all sorts of people visiting your site – including the visually impaired.

 

A compatible platform

The great thing about the BaseKit website builder is that our websites are

built in a language called HTML. A lot of the alternatives use something called ‘Flash’. Having a Flash site is a bit dated and has a few associated problems. Flash websites can prove frustrating for a user who wants to navigate themselves around the site quickly. Flash also makes it difficult for websites

to be displayed correctly on other forms of technology such as mobile phones and tablets which limits the different ways in which your website can be viewed.

 

Create your own user-friendly website at BaseKit today…