Website Usability

If you are going to have a website you need to make sure that it works properly. There is little value to having a website that is difficult to use. The main aspects of website usability are about making your site easy to use for your visitors and in making your site an effective marketing tool. Most of the things that you are going to deal with are things that are fairly simple. Because they are so simple a lot of people tend to overlook them.

The most important aspect of website usability is navigation, if it is difficult for people to find what they are looking for they will most likely just move on to another site. The biggest part of navigation is to keep it simple; it needs to be obvious to people where they are, where they have been and where they can go. You also want to make sure that you keep things consistent, the navigations systems should be in the same place on all of your pages. It is also important that you use text links that actually describe where they are going, don’t make people guess where a link will lead, use the appropriate text. You will also want to make it easy for people to get back to the home page so include a link to the home page in an obvious spot on every page and also make sure that your company logo links back to the home page. A site map and search box will also help with website usability.

The next major thing that you are going to want to address in regards to website usability is to keep your content simple and clear. Put the most important stuff right at the top of the page; don’t save the best for last. When most people visit a website they usually scan the content rather than reading it all, so make it easy for them. Keep the paragraphs short and include lots of white space. You are also going to want to make sure that you have good contrast between the color of the text and the color of the background. Also make sure that you have an ALT and title attribute on all of your images especially if you are using them as link.

If you are using your website for any kind of internet marketing you are going to want to make sure that you brand your site properly. This is done by keeping the look of your site consistent. Every page should have the same layout, the same colors and the same typeface. You want people instantly recognize your page and associate with your brand. Include your logo on every page and it is also a good idea to have a tag line on each page. By keeping your pages consistent it will help to reinforce your brand to your visitors and make your site more memorable.