How to Improve Web Usability: 15 Tips & Tricks

Starting with web usability is a good idea. In other words, making websites very user-friendly and easy to navigate is what it is about. Superb usability ensures your site visitors can find what they need quickly and complete their desired actions without hurdles or headaches.

Remember the last confusing website you landed on? It was probably cluttered, too. You likely ended up leaving frustrated and finding another site that was easier to use. Don’t let that be how people feel when they visit your site!

Why Web Usability Matters More Than Ever

We live in a time of unlimited options and endless distractions — which means poor website usability can (and will) tank your online presence. If users can’t figure out how to do what they came for in just a few clicks, they’ll bounce over to your competitors’ sites instead.

Terrible usability leads to:

• High bounce rates
• Fewer conversions (subscribers, sales, etc.)
• Diminished customer satisfaction
• Poor brand perception

On the other hand, when you prioritise usability, you get real perks like:

• More engaged users who stick around longer
• Better conversion rates and ROI 
• Cost savings (less user support needed)
• Happier customers who view your brand positively

And it’s not all just fluff, either. The numbers are there: companies focusing on usability have seen an average 83.5% increase in conversion rates, making $10-16 billion more in revenue each year.

The Biggest Usability Mistakes to Avoid

Before we look at some of the worst usability sins and site enhancers, let us consider this:

1. Confusing Navigation

Think about a store with an unclear layout, no signs and products strewn everywhere. What would you do? Turn on your heels and walk away? Exactly! A labyrinthine website does precisely that for users online.

Usability 101 is having clear, logical and consistent navigation. If visitors need help navigating through your website, they will leave as soon as they arrive.

2. Small Illegible Text Size

Reading glasses on… squinting at the screen… nope! The font size is still too small for comfortable reading! Drive those who visit crazy or at least give them literal headaches – this mistake in usability is guaranteed!

Not only does text this tiny exclude people with visual impairments from access, but it also provides an all-around lousy reading experience. Do them a favour by blowing up some legible words for once!

3. Ads & Popups That Get in the Way

We have encountered those sites that throw obnoxious popups and invasive ads at us before we can see anything else on the page, right? They should call it high bounce city!

It’s understandable to want to monetise your site with advertisements. Still, there must be a balance because if not done thoughtfully, too many ads will ruin everything about user-friendliness, leading people to leave in masses.

4. Pages That Load Too Slowly Because They’re Too Heavy

Waiting …and waiting…and just waiting for our pages to load fully can drive us up the wall since these days we have high-speed internet connections and an attitude of needing things now.

Even after only 3 seconds, people are already starting to abandon sites, according to studies, when load times exceed that threshold; therefore, if yours takes forever, users will be gone before you know it!

5. Designs that Don’t Work On Mobile Devices

Over half of all web traffic worldwide now comes from mobile devices, so if you haven’t got a responsive design (one which works well on phones and tablets), you’re toast.

If your website forces people to pinch, zoom and squint just for them to see anything on their phone? That’s terrible usability!

A mobile-friendly site allows users to navigate easily read content and complete actions using handheld devices like desktop computers. There is no compromise about this!

Now that we know the deadliest usability sins, let’s dive into time-tested tips & tricks for turning any site into a usability heaven.

15 Brilliant Ways to Improve Website Usability

1. Start With a Thoughtful Information Architecture

Behind every highly usable website is a well-planned information architecture (IA) that organises and structures content intuitively. A solid IA provides a strong usability foundation by:

• Arranging pages/sections in logical groupings
• Making content discoverable through smart navigation
• Guiding users seamlessly through conversion funnels
• Adapting to different user needs and behaviours

Like a brick-and-mortar building needs architectural blueprints, your website should have an IA plan before any coding or design begins. Invest the time upfront to nail this — it'll pay significant usability dividends.

2. Simplify Navigation for Easy Wayfinding

Think about the last time you got lost in a new city without proper directions. You probably felt stressed and disoriented. That's how visitors feel when your website's navigation system fails them.

To prevent navigation headaches:

• Stick to standard conventions (no reinventing the wheel)
• Use clear, descriptive labels for nav items
• Keep your nav menus flat (avoid excessive submenus)
• Ensure menus are consistent across all pages
• Add breadcrumbs to enhance findability
• Link your logo back to the homepage

Well-designed navigation that creates a seamless wayfinding experience is Navigation Usability 101.

3. Apply a Minimalist, Distraction-Free Design

These days, users are bombarded by overwhelming digital noise and stimuli. That's why distraction-free, minimalist website designs focused on usability perform so well.

To reduce visual clutter and cognitive overload:

• Use plenty of open white space
• Stick to a simple colour palette
• Remove unnecessary design elements
• Highlight essential content and actions
• Avoid flashy animations and parallax effects

The ultimate goal? Directing users' attention exactly where you want it by removing potential points of confusion and clutter.

4. Optimise for Mobile-First

With the world becoming increasingly mobile, your website must provide an exceptional user experience on smartphones and tablets—no ifs, ands, or buts.

Critical mobile usability practices:

• Implement responsive, flexible layouts that adapt well
• Design for “thumb-friendly” navigation and interactions
• Prioritise and surface the most crucial content/features
• Compress images and assets for faster load times
• Eliminate disruptive desktop elements like modal windows
• Make buttons, CTAs, and tap targets nice and big

Don't settle for a tacked-on mobile experience as an afterthought. Mobile-first usability is paramount!

5. Focus on Fast Load Times & Performance

In our era of instant gratification, slow websites are the digital equivalent of watching paint dry or standing in the slowest line ever. Not ideal for demonstrating user-friendliness.

To optimise site speed and performance:

• Minimise HTTP requests through file compression
• Leverage browser caching to reduce page load times
• Optimise images and media assets for the web
• Implement lazy loading for images below the fold
• Evaluate plugins/extensions weighing things down
• Consider using a content delivery network (CDN)

Don't let slow speeds bottleneck your site's usability and keep users waiting impatiently. Every fraction of a second counts!

6. Keep Things Scannable With a Clear Visual Hierarchy

Considering the concise human attention span these days (about 8 seconds, yikes!), making your site easy to scan for critical information is pivotal for usability.

Enhance scannability through visual hierarchy cues like:

• Contrasting fonts, sizes, colours, and styles
• Judicious use of bold, italic, and underlined text
• Numbered or bulleted lists
• Section dividers and horizontal rules
• There are plenty of brief subheadings
• Visual elements like icons, images, graphics

With a solid visual hierarchy, users can quickly navigate content and bypass what's non-essential — a total usability win!

7. Write For Scannability Too

Of course, strategic formatting alone isn't enough to cater to scanners. Your content's substance and writing style must suit how people consume information online.

For scannable, usability-friendly writing:

• Break things up into short, snappy paragraphs
• Utilise descriptive subheaders to chunk content
• Prioritise precise, concise phrasing over fluff

8. Use Clear, Descriptive Calls-to-Action

Imagine walking up to a giant building with no sign indicating what it is or where the entrance is. You'd be confused. Well, websites without clear calls-to-action (CTAs) create that same head-scratching experience.

For maximum usability, every page needs a distinct CTA that compels visitors to take the next desired step, whether that's:

• Signing up for an email newsletter
• Adding an item to their shopping cart
• Scheduling a consultation or demo
• Downloading a free guide or resource

Beyond crafting persuasive microcopy, your CTAs should make use of characteristics like:

• Contrasting colours that make them pop
• Thoughtful placement for visibility
• Descriptive text signalling their purpose
• Eye-catching design elements like arrows

When done well, obvious CTAs remove the guesswork and guide users seamlessly along your conversion funnel.

9. Design For Accessibility

Did you know that over 1 billion people globally live with some form of disability? Or are lawsuits over web accessibility violations becoming increasingly common?

Creating an accessible, inclusive user experience benefits disabled visitors while shielding them from legal risks and negative PR. It's an absolute win-win situation.

Some top accessibility practices include:

• Ensuring sufficient colour contrast ratios
• Using descriptive alt text for images/media
• Providing captions or transcripts for video
• Allowing keyboard navigation functionality
• Incorporating screen reader compatibility
• Creating logical heading structures/order

Don't make the usability-killing blunder of alienating a sizable segment of your audience. Design for accessibility at every phase!

10. Guide Users Through Smart Interactions

Interactive website elements like forms, sliders, toggles, and expandable menus can provide delightfully usable experiences — but only if appropriately designed. They'll stall users and cause total frustration if not built with usability.

To enable satisfying user interactions:

• Stick to familiar UI patterns people already know
• Allow both mouse/trackpad and keyboard accessibility
• Offer clear visual feedback in response to each action
• Provide inline validation and error handling
• Demonstrate logical progression through processes

With intuitive, user-friendly interactive elements, your site can nudge visitors seamlessly along a guided journey rather than trapping them in confusion.

11. Prioritise Consistency and Standards

Forcing users to relearn how to accomplish basic tasks across different sections of your website is a vast usability no-no. It's the online equivalent of having wildly different rules and conventions in each building room.

To keep your user experience consistent and coherent:

• Maintain the same navigation system sitewide
• Establish design patterns and UI component libraries
• Use the same icons/symbols to represent actions
• Follow platform conventions for common elements
• Stick to established layout and formatting standards

When aspects like navigation, visuals, and functionality remain consistent, it eliminates guesswork and boosts usability in a big way.

12. Provide Context Through “Microcopy”

While brief, punchy microcopy shines for things like CTAs and button labels, you'll also want to leverage longer-form contextual microcopy strategically.

Short instructional blurbs, tooltips, form field descriptions, and other contextual cues can:

• Clarify an element's purpose or action
• Suggest how something should be used
• Guide users through multi-step processes
• Explain complex ideas or requirements
• Reinforce instructional or help documentation

Small doses of clarity can improve usability by getting users on the same page and helping them understand your UI quickly.

13. Build Trust With Authentic Design

Have you ever landed on a website that looked shady, unprofessional, or just… off? If so, you probably hesitated to act or provide personal information. That gut reaction is human nature — and it kills usability.

To instil trust and credibility:

• Use high-quality, authentic visuals and media
• Showcase client logos, testimonials, and social proof
• Design a clean, modern aesthetic with attention to detail
• Establish a strong, cohesive brand voice and personality
• Invest in robust security signals like SSL certification

When your site design inspires confidence and makes your business seem legit, users feel more comfortable sticking around and engaging.

14. Never Underestimate The Power Of User Testing

You know what they say — assumptions are the mother of all screw-ups. Don't just assume your website is user-friendly. Put it to the test!

Conducting routine user testing, whether moderated or unmoderated, can reveal critical usability blindspots like:

• Navigation that causes confusion
• Areas of frustration during critical tasks
• Instances of cognitive overload
• Content comprehension issues
• Functionality or accessibility flaws

With this feedback, you can continually optimise your user experience and fix usability problems before they negatively impact users at scale.

15. Solicit Feedback Wherever Possible

Beyond formal user testing, opening up channels for general feedback allows you to gather insights on an ongoing basis. Something as simple as adding a “Submit Feedback” button or modal window can be precious.

Feedback channels give users a voice to:

• Report bugs or issues
• Request new features or improvements
• Provide suggestions or ideas
• Voice concerns or frustrations
• Sing your praises (bring on the kudos!)

Not only does this engender user goodwill, but it also gives you ample opportunities to find ways to enhance usability based on their experiences.

Conclusion

To summarise, usability is vital for your website's long-term success in today's uber-competitive digital landscape. If you fail to provide a frictionless, intuitive user experience, you'll lose visitors to more usability-mature competitors.

Thankfully, designing for usability isn't tricky if you keep these guiding principles in mind:

• Create an intelligent information architecture and navigation
• Follow UI/UX conventions rather than reinventing the wheel
• Prioritise clarity over complexity
• Keep things minimal, scannable, and hyper-focused
• Optimise for mobile, speed, and performance
• Accommodate diverse user needs and contexts
• Use microcopy and other aids to enhance guidance
• Foster credibility through savvy design decisions
• Leverage feedback and testing to iterate and improve

Nail usability and watch as your happier users stick around longer, engage more deeply, and convert better. This human-centric approach is truly the future of web design and development.

Remember, remarkable usability rarely happens overnight. It requires ongoing refinement, retesting, and fine-tuning over time. But keep at it, and the benefits will make it all worthwhile! Your users (and bottom line) will thank you.

Web Usability FAQs

Let's Recap the Key Web Usability Lessons:

• Usability impacts the core success metrics for any website
• Focusing on usability prevents frustrating user experiences
• Factors like navigation, visuals, performance, and accessibility all tie into usability
• Following interface conventions and standards promotes familiarity
• User research, testing, and iteration are vital for usability
• Designing for context and actual user needs creates optimal experiences
• Even minor usability enhancements can yield significant benefits

With a prioritised effort towards creating usable, frictionless digital experiences, you'll future-proof your web presence while delighting users every step of the way. What could be better than that?

The post How to Improve Web Usability: 15 Tips & Tricks is by Stuart Crawford and appeared first on Inkbot Design.