Usability plays an important role in determining the success of a website. User-centric approach is a standard practice in the arena of web designing as the user decides the effectiveness of any site. For effective web designing, the first important step that a designer needs to take is to understand how a user uses the site and determine the behavioural pattern of the same. It has been noticed that the user notices a part of the text clicks on the link and if the page fails to cater the desired information they leave the page and continues the process.Image may be NSFW.
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Understand the behaviour pattern of users
It has been noticed, that a site with high quality content but not designed well has greater volume of traffic. When it comes to the usability of the site, the content plays an important role. An important pattern that has been also observed that the users do not read a webpage rather they scan the same, they go through the parts of the contents and then clicking on the links that are embedded in the site they reach their desired destination. Based on these patterns the designing and development of a website focuses the prospective user so that their requirement, mental models and goals can be achieved easily.
Make tagline prominent
Usability of any site refers to the easy availability of the information by the users. To ensure the usability of the site, the web designers resort to few methodologies. The first one is to include a tagline that delivers the motto of the company, its mission and philosophy. According to the research, any website has to grab the attention of the user within the first eight seconds. Tagline has often proved to be effective in gluing the attention of the user to the site. While designing, you can also implement a search box in the site for the convenience of the users.
Incorporate site maps
Use of graphics attracts the attention of the users and also caters the information in an easy way, but excessive use of the same might mar the effect of the same. The thumb rule of usability is to adopt a minimalist approach. A new element of designing is the site map that makes navigating through the site easy. These are structural representation of the architecture of the webpage. Site maps are displayed in the form of a document that enlists the content of the site and also help in SEO.
Maintain the workflow
The workflow of the website needs to be consistent, if required you can also guide the users through the workflow as when filling a form. Often the JavaScript links tend to disrupt the flow so refrain from using the same in the web design process. Change of color of the link that the users have already visited is another important process, if not so then there will be a break in the navigational design. As per the eye tracking research the users scan the pages in F shape. A research also stated the couple of paragraphs that appears first are the most essential ones. Use of sun heads also tells the importance of each of these paragraphs.
Test the usability
The ease of using the site is crucial to the success of the site, and the key to the same is that users can seamlessly interact with the site. Testing the usability of the site is also important. These can be done with the help of various advanced tools that measure the effectiveness of the factors that decide the usability of the site. Accessibility, readability, navigability of the site and user experience all are taken into account in usability testing.
Josephine Bale is a web designer and she emphasizes on the usability of the site and designs the site accordingly. To know the importance of the same you can visit our business site.