Make Your Website Easy to Use

Creating a website that’s easy to use is crucial for small businesses. An effective website can attract customers, encourage them to spend more time browsing, and make it easy for them to complete actions like booking a service, buying a product, or signing up for a newsletter. But where do you begin? Let’s go through some simple tips on how to make your website user-friendly, so your customers have the best possible experience from start to finish.  Of course, you may want to use a professional website designer rather than doing it yourself but these tips are still relevant, and may tell you why your designer has done something a particular way.

1. Keep Your Design Simple

Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash

A clean, simple design helps customers find what they’re looking for without feeling overwhelmed. Avoid clutter and focus on showcasing the most important parts of your website. Remember, every image, button, and piece of text should have a clear purpose.

• Limit Colours: Use a small palette of colours that reflect your brand. Too many colours can make your website look busy and distract from the message.
• Readable Fonts: Use a font style that’s easy to read. Stick to a few fonts across the site to keep things looking consistent.
• White Space: Leave some empty space between sections so the page feels less crowded. White space makes it easier to read and gives a feeling of balance.

Simple design doesn’t mean boring; it means clean, focused, and easy on the eye.

2. Make Navigation Straightforward

Navigation is how customers move around your site. If they can’t find what they need quickly, they’re more likely to leave. Keep the layout intuitive and make sure key pages are easy to reach.

• Main Menu: Your menu should be at the top of the page, visible as soon as customers arrive. Limit the options to only the most important pages like “Home,” “About Us,” “Services,” “Products,” and “Contact Us.”
• Clear Labels: Use plain language for menu options. Avoid jargon, as not everyone will understand it.
• Add a Search Bar: A search bar is particularly helpful if you have a lot of content or products. Place it where people can find it easily, like in the header.

By making it simple for customers to get around, you increase the chances that they’ll stay longer and explore what you have to offer.

3. Optimise for Mobile Devices

With so many people using smartphones and tablets, a mobile-friendly website is essential. A site that doesn’t work well on mobile may lose a lot of visitors.

• Responsive Design: This means your website adjusts automatically to different screen sizes. Many website builders offer responsive templates that make this easy to achieve.
• Check Button Sizes: Buttons on a mobile website need to be big enough to tap easily with a finger. Tiny buttons can be frustrating!
• Test on Mobile: Regularly check how your site looks on different devices. Make sure everything is easy to read, and images don’t take too long to load.

A mobile-friendly site ensures that your customers get a smooth experience, no matter what device they’re using.

4. Improve Your Loading Speed

People don’t like waiting. In fact, a slow website can be a real turn-off. If your website takes more than a few seconds to load, some people may leave before they even get to see what you have to offer.

• Optimise Images: Large image files can slow down your site. Use compressed images that are web-friendly but still look good.
• Limit Plugins: Plugins are small add-ons that can give your website extra functions. While helpful, too many plugins can slow things down. Only use the ones you really need.
• Choose a Good Hosting Provider: A reliable web host can have a big impact on your website speed. Make sure you’re using one that suits your needs and doesn’t limit performance.

5. Make Text Easy to Read

Text should be easy to read on any device. If customers struggle to read your content, they may miss important information or leave the site entirely.

• Use Short Paragraphs: Break up long text into smaller sections. This makes it easier to read and less intimidating.
• Use Bullet Points: Lists and bullet points are perfect for breaking down information quickly. They’re especially useful for features or benefits.
• Headings and Subheadings: These act as signposts and help readers find specific information quickly. Use headings to divide content into sections and keep readers engaged.
• Jargon: Depending on your audience you should avoid using jargon and “trade terms” – if you offer business advice say so, don’t talk about business advisory services.  Of course, if you are aimed at a specific market place then use the terms used in that market.  Basically use the langauge that your audience would use.

Readable text helps convey your message clearly and keeps customers focused on what you have to say.

6. Keep the content relevant

It’s always best to keep the content simple and about a single subject on a page – if you are a firm of Accountants for example have a different page about each service you can offer.  Don’t lump all the services on a single page and make your visitor have to read about tax, bookkeeping, auditing etc when what they want is to know if you can give a new business some advice.

7. Use Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)

A call to action (CTA) is a prompt that encourages visitors to take a specific action, like “Buy Now,” “Learn More,” or “Contact Us.” Clear and visible CTAs can guide customers through their journey on your website.

• Make CTAs Stand Out: Use contrasting colours and make the CTA button slightly larger so it’s easy to spot.
• Use Action Words: Use words that clearly explain what will happen if they click, like “Start Free Trial” or “Get Your Quote.”
• Place CTAs Strategically: Put CTAs where they make sense on the page, such as near product descriptions or after key information.

Effective CTAs can lead customers to take the actions you want, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up, or contacting you.

8. Include Contact Information

Your customers may want to get in touch with you, so make sure your contact information is easy to find. Not being able to reach you can be a deal-breaker for many visitors.

• Dedicated Contact Page: Create a page with your phone number, email address, and address if you have a physical location.
• Use a Contact Form: Some people prefer filling in a form rather than sending an email. Keep it short – just a few fields are enough.
• Footer Information: Many websites include contact details in the footer (the bottom part of each page), so customers can easily find it wherever they are on your site.

Easy-to-find contact information builds trust and makes it simple for customers to get in touch.

9. Add Customer Testimonials

People like to hear about others’ experiences, especially when deciding whether to trust a business. Customer testimonials add credibility to your business and show that others have had a good experience with you.

• Select Key Testimonials: Choose testimonials that highlight the best aspects of your business. Focus on specific benefits or positive experiences.
• Display Them Prominently: Add testimonials to your homepage or a dedicated page. Make them easy to find so visitors don’t have to search for them.
• Use Real Names if Possible: People tend to trust testimonials more when they come from identifiable sources.
• Don’t Make Up Testimonials: Apart from being illegal making up testimonials can, if spotted, mean that visitors to your site leave with a bad impression.

Including testimonials can make your website more engaging and build trust with potential customers.

10. Make It Easy to Buy or Book

If you sell products or services online, make the buying or booking process straightforward. Complicated processes may frustrate customers and lead to abandoned purchases.

• Limit Steps in the Checkout Process: Try to keep the steps to a minimum. The simpler it is, the more likely customers are to complete their purchase.
• Offer Multiple Payment Options: Give customers different payment choices like credit cards, PayPal, or Apple Pay. The more options, the better.
• Show Clear Prices: Be upfront about costs, including shipping and taxes. Surprise fees can cause people to leave their cart.

A simple, hassle-free buying process can increase your sales and improve customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

An easy-to-use website can make a big difference for your small business. By keeping your design simple, making navigation easy, optimising for mobile, speeding up loading times, and making information clear, you’ll create a positive experience that encourages visitors to explore more and become loyal customers. Start with small changes, and remember that every improvement brings you closer to a site that works better for you and your customers.