Whether you have a dated web site or are looking to establish a web presence in Calgary or anywhere else around the globe , you will need to understand these 10 top web design usability issues:
1. Make A Great First Impression
Studies have shown that the human eye generally reads a webpage in an “F” pattern, from top left to right. Therefore, the hottest screen area on your corporate web site is the top left area. Post your critical info there, especially your corporate logo. The only exception to this may be to center the logo in the top area if the logo is symmetrical. Overall, your website needs to create a great first impression and establish confidence and trust in your visitor. A Web design should not hinder or overwhelm web site content or branding on any page, including the home page.
2. Menus & Navigation
It is ideal to have consistent and universal navigation on your Calgary business website . This means having a main menu that can access all pages at any time . This makes it easy for visitors to find the answers they need and also maintains confidence in their experience with your company. Having supporting navigation such as breadcrumbs or contextual “previous” and “next” buttons or links to related items will reinforce your web presence ’s overall usability. Consistency is critical , and remember that navigation, such as text links and a site map, is also used by search engine robots when indexing your web site pages for their search results.
3. Contact Information
Make it easy for potential customers to contact you by displaying your current office address or phone number clearly on all pages of your web site , or at least on your key pages. You can also have a contact us page that has details , such as different branches, key contacts or a contact us form. On today’s websites, it is also popular to see live chat options so a visitor can connect with your staff as they surf!
4. Get Visitors to Act on Something
Even if it is just to get a visitor to call your office , a website needs a “Call to Action” – this is something that is defined by a combination of site navigation, content generation and site functionality, including e-commerce processing. What do you want visitors to do on your site? Where do you want them to go? What is the next logical step once they have found your web site ? Is it to call you? Buy a product online or educate themselves ? Or perhaps share information with a co-worker in the form of an e-book or pre-recorded video.
5. Keeping Above the “Fold Focus”
Keep the key information you NEED them to see in the top area of your Calgary web site, or wherever you are , above the fold, which is the bottom of the browser window, where someone has to scroll down to keep reading . This is why logos, menus and the main calls to action appear in the top part of the site design – they need to be accessible , without the person having to scroll down the page to find the web content they want . Of course, when indepth information is needed pages can be quite long and still flow well , however, as an alternative consider using a PDF document for more archived items and content , as it keeps the web article concise and easier to manage , plus you can brand your PDFs as a source of viral marketing, with Web links back to your site or email . Google and other search engines also index PDFs similar to Web pages, so your PDFs will also turn up in the search engine results.
6. Web Content as a Relationship Builder
A relationship is an ongoing commitment from both sides, it is not a one way street. While the web user on your site is looking for a product or information, your Calgary business is looking for that potential lead and the sale they bring – and as it has been said, it is so much easier to make a sale to a person who has already bought from you before. So, when I say “offers a return” I mean it’s a return for both sides, the returning customer finds ongoing value in your services or products and you retain them as a loyal customer or client . So keep content fresh , updated and consider adding a blog or Content Management System to your Calgary Web site.
7. Keep Content Organized
Organize your site so the visitor can easily flow from one web page to the next. Make sure that information is prioritized in a hierarchy of need (both for them and you) and provide the information or product to them as efficiently as possible. Consider the home page as the gateway to the Web site’s key areas and lead the visitor to what you can offer them (e.g. latest deals, latest information package, latest blog entry, etc.) and then give it to them. Ensure that every web page follows a consistent layout for navigation and branding and that the content area is organized in a clean manner so the overall web design of the site does not interfere with content delivery.
8. Looks Do Matter
A website ’s impression is made not only by what is included in the web site, but what is left out. Bypass banner ads, third party advertising, non-interactive flash animation and overt colour schemes that blatantly fight for the visitor’s attention. Visitors are generally looking for one thing on your site, so make it easy to find by keeping the overall web structure and design layout of the site simple, clean and direct.
9. Secure Your Site to Ensure Trust
With billions of Web pages online these days, your web traffic needs to know , more than ever, that they can trust their valuable time and money to what your site has to offer . Get security seals and trusted third party endorsements, a 256-bit SSL Certificate tells your visitor that you have planned to secure your Calgary web site properly. However, there are subtle, yet effective, ways to show your visitor that they can trust your site: include properly written privacy policy, terms of use, shipping and returns policy, unique logins for their registration , acknowledge you will never sell or share your information with a third party unless they agree and only email them to the degree to which they have agreed . A certain way to ensure trust is to have your site professionally developed as this shows you have invested your own time and money in something you feel is worthwhile to others .
10. Polish to a Shine
Errors happen, it is technology after all, and while we all want to believe that technology can deliver 100%, 24/7 – is that reality? The reality is knowing that accidents happen , temporary glitches can happen and once in a while things need to be fixed . The reality of the Web is that technology has to keep expanding and those tools made to make your life easier do take efforts to learn . As technology progresses we must be prepared to make upgrades, updates and expand along with it . By working out all of the errors such as broken links (this requires ongoing maintenance), spelling errors, broken image links , coding issues due to browser advancements and code deprecation , etc. you can present a well-polished gem to your current and future web site traffic , which will inherently carry its worth in its visual appeal, optimum functionality and delivery of relevant, needed content.
Please consider the above 10 key points to improve your existing web presence or if you are looking to start your own Cochrane or Calgary Web Design site .
For more information about Calgary Web Design and Calgary Graphic Design Services, please visit www.blinddrop.com.