Designing the user experience (UX) for your website should help visitors to find meaningful and relevant content in an intuitive way that guides them smoothly through their journey. Despite this, there are a whole host of common usability issues that could be stopping those visiting your site from getting the best UX. Make sure you aren’t guilty of any of them.
The difference between two seconds and four may not seem like a lot, but on the internet it’s an age and can mean some users won’t stick around. Regular speed tests to ensure your website loads in under two seconds will help to keep your UX in check. Conduct multiple tests to calculate the average and make changes to your site to eradicate elements that are slowing it down.
Designing the experience to flow is important, but there will be occasions when users change their mind or make a mistake, meaning they need to go backwards. This should be factored into the functionality of the website, with ways to return to previous pages built in without the need to click the back button. Without an alternative route, users can become frustrated and complications can occur with loading.
Consistency is key to eliminating confusion and improving visitors’ understanding of a page. Inconsistent page layouts make it harder for users to navigate their way around information. Tackle this by reproducing headers on multiple pages, selecting a font and sticking to it and replicating the position of buttons across your site so they’re easily found.
Navigation is key to a successful UX and while hamburger menus are commonplace on an app or mobile site, it’s a lazy design choice. Drop down menus are less than ideal too, as mouse usage lags behind the speed of the human eye, which slows visitors down. Instead, a UX designer must create a clear navigation bar that takes users to important pages without cluttering the menu with too many options.