7 Ways to Verify That Your Website is User-Friendly

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User-friendliness is a goal that every web developer should strive to achieve. Without it, a website may have lower user satisfaction, marked by high bounce rates and low conversion rates.

On the other hand, a user-friendly website brings many benefits, from generating more traffic to increasing user sessions and retaining customers. If you’re in search of a skilled web designer, the innovative web development solutions in Brisbane can contribute to making your site as user-friendly as it can be.

A user-friendly website should be well-organized, easy to use, and have a fast loading speed. If you’re having trouble optimizing your site for better usability, this article will explain seven ways to verify that your site is user-friendly.

1. Check the Website’s Speed

Site speed or page load time measures how long a web page takes to fully render.

Excellent page load time is crucial for determining a website’s user-friendliness. Statistics show that web pages loading under five seconds have higher conversion rates. In other words, prolonged load time can increase bounce rates and result in a poor user experience.

To ensure an excellent load time for your website, choosing a reliable web hosting provider with optimized web servers that use an observability platform should be a priority.

Opt for a web host with under 200 milliseconds of server response time. Use BitCatcha or GTmetrix to get detailed information about a site’s performance.

2. Run a Usability Test

A usability or user test invites potential customers to evaluate a product or service. In custom web development solutions, this method is crucial as it can provide insights for building the perfect website for the target audience. In addition, you should learn how to make a website in case you can’t find the right specialists.

Here’s what to prepare for a successful usability test:

  • Goals. Whether it’s increasing usability, responsiveness, or user experience, goals are crucial for the entire testing process to provide direction and focus.
  • Method. Determine if you want to conduct the test in person or remotely.
  • Target audience. Choose a group of people who are most likely interested in your products or services. Then, create a persona to visualize your potential customers better.
  • Resources. Decide how much time and money you are willing to invest in these tests.

Source: Userfeel https://www.userfeel.com/

Since these tests can be time-consuming, site owners can utilize usability testing tools to help with the process. Some of the best ones include Userfeel, PlaybookUX, TryMyUI, and Userlytics.

3. Include a Search Bar

One of the easiest ways to improve website usability is by adding a search function on each web page. Especially on large websites and eCommerce stores, this feature lets visitors quickly find what they’re looking for using specific search terms or keywords.

To make it accessible, place a search function where visitors expect it. Typically, it sits at the top right corner of a page or is center-aligned. For mobile-friendliness, use the magnifying glass icon to help users find it quicker.

4. Compatible with Mobile Devices

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As mobile devices account for 54.4% of global website traffic, having a responsive website design is vital to providing an excellent experience for mobile users.

A mobile-friendly website theme enables layouts and formats to adjust to different screen sizes, including mobile devices and tablets. A responsive website should also be thumb-friendly and accessible for users with touch screens.

Once you’ve selected and installed a theme, use Google Search Console’s Mobile-Friendly Test to see if the website is responsive. All you need to do is insert the site URL into the search box and click Enter.

5. Test Your Website on Various Browsers

Aside from establishing a smooth experience across different screen sizes, site owners need to ensure that their websites perform well on different browsers. While Chrome seems to be today’s most popular browser, many people also use Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

Thankfully, site owners don’t have to download each browser and perform tests themselves. Cross-browser testing tools, like Comparium and Browserling, can ease the process.

Such tools help site owners monitor how their websites look on different browsers by providing screenshots or live previews. They also help point out issues related to image resolutions, web design, and layout inconsistencies. What’s more, with a web screenshot api tool like URLbox, you can automate taking screenshots of your website, and easily track changes being made over time.

6. Conduct A/B Testing

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A/B testing or split testing enables site owners to display two versions of the same variable to users at random. With the help of statistical analysis, this test aims to find out which variant performs better.

Some common goals of A/B testing for websites are generating more website traffic, increasing conversion rates, and lowering cart abandonment rates. In web development, site owners can A/B test any of the page elements, including:

  • Calls to action.
  • Titles.
  • Pop-ups.
  • Search feature.
  • Social media icons.
  • Graphs and images.

A/B testing is useful to improve website usability. It can help site owners develop simple navigation, create a clear call to action, and develop a visual hierarchy.

Here are some of the main steps for conducting A/B testing:

  • Pick one variable to test. If you have a long list of items, test them one at a time. This is vital as you want to know which variable is responsible for improved performance.
  • Create a “control” and a “variation.” The former refers to the version you currently use. The latter is an altered version you want to test against the control.
  • Manage the sample groups. Split your sample groups randomly but equally to get a more accurate result.
  • Set your timeline. Determine how long the A/B test will take place and be sure to distribute the two variants simultaneously.
  • Analyze the results. Measure the analytics and determine which variant performs best to improve user-friendliness.

7. Check Customer Support Data

Source: Pexels https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-working-in-a-call-center-office-7681831/

To better understand what visitors think about your site’s user interface (UI), reach out to your site’s customer service agents. Visitors’ feedback, both positive and negative, helps site owners make more informed decisions to streamline the user experience.

To ease the process, consider creating a communication channel specifically to gather support data on UI issues. This will help you collect insights more conveniently while improving cross-team collaboration within your organization.

Alternatively, site owners can incorporate user experience polls or surveys into their websites. Creating a direct user feedback process is an excellent way to determine areas for improvement, such as simplifying the checkout process or creating more readable content.

Conclusion

Throughout this article, we’ve explored seven ways to verify that your site is user-friendly. Here’s a short recap:

  • Check the site speed. Excellent page load time is crucial to support a site’s ease of use. It helps lower bounce rates and improves user satisfaction.
  • Run a usability test. This method invites users to evaluate a product or service so site owners can gain insights into what needs to be improved.
  • Include a search box. The feature enables users to easily find what they’re looking for with specific keywords.
  • Ensure mobile device compatibility. A responsive design enables websites to adjust their layouts to various screen sizes.
  • Test the site on various browsers. This ensures the website looks good and performs well across different browsers.
  • Conduct A/B testing. It’s an effective way to make careful and informed changes to a website.
  • Check customer support data. Utilize visitors’ feedback via user experience polls and surveys to guide your website improvement process.

We hope this article can help you build a user-friendly site. Keep in mind to regularly test your website to maintain good usability and improve its competitive edge. Good luck with your optimization!

Nikola Roza

Nikola Roza is a blogger behind Nikola Roza- SEO for the Poor and Determined. He writes for bloggers who don't have huge marketing budget but still want to succeed. Nikola is passionate about precious metals IRAs and how to invest in gold and silver for a safer financial future. Learn about Nikola here.

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