What Makes a Website “User Friendly”?

Click. Click. Click. For a user friendly website, it should take no more than three clicks to arrive at the desired information. Not only should it take no more than a few clicks, the customer should know what those three clicks should be. A website should not need a map to guide the users. For optimal ease, the customer should be able to see all of the website’s functions at a glance. Navigating a website should not feel like treasure hunt to find needed information. When a user is exploring a website, they should be able easily and quickly locate the information.

Speed is extremely important in a fast paced society.

Thank goodness that the days of dial up are long gone. According to the FCC, Internet speed has progressed to the point where the average American’s internet speed is up to 31 megabytes per second. (www.BGR.com)  Clearly, speed is important to the average American because they are willing to shell out anywhere from $20-45 a month for internet service. If your potential customers get to your website and still have to wait a long time for the site to load, they will surely go elsewhere. Why would a user put up with a site with slow load times when they can easily find another site? The average person spends far too much money per month for quality internet to be slowed down by one website. Fast load times are essential to your site being considered “user friendly”.  Load times can usually be connected to the site’s host. Having your site hosted through a quality company is vital for maintaining a superior load time and increasing your partner base.

Think of content as the cream filling to your website.

The website can be visually stimulating, but if it does not provide useful content, then the site is pointless. Your users want to see an attractive site, but they want to have a reason to visit your site. The reason they will visit is because they can access the information they seek. Providing constructive and helpful content will serve your users’ needs. One of the ways your customer base can figure out that your company has this content is through web searches. Your content must be high quality, but also including keywords which will help it be located in the vast sea of the internet.

Your customers want function and convenience.

In a world with an app for everything, advanced functionality, such as forums, animated sliders, databases, web apps, and visualizers, are integral to your website’s success. Not only do these functions demonstrate that your company is current, but they also show that your company is easily accessed. All of these functions can also aid with the navigation process.

If you are ready to have your website transformed into something which your users can easily access, Harbin Designs is prepared to help. Our team will create a site which showcases your company in a user friendly manner.