Here are some simple fixes that you can apply to your site today.
User Experience (UX Design)
1. Test for simplicity and proper functionality. Does your shopping cart correctly adjust to users adding or removing items? Do actions on your site provide a clear solution and are they instantly rewarding to users? Are there any browsing activities that are redundant? Use and test your site extensively to find any elements that might take away from the browsing experience.
2. Make sure your content is properly formatted. There is a world of a difference between a piece content that’s formatted properly and one that’s not. It’s not just about using line breaks between paragraphs and making sure proper punctuation is used. It’s about making an impact with the content by breaking up apart so that the lead gets proper attention, important parts of the content are highlighted, sub-topics are broken up and organized, transitions are smooth, etc.
3. Make your call to action clear. Provide a clear description of what the user will get if they click on a button or a link. Design the button so that it clearly stands out from the text and has a strong clickability factor. Finally, state a clear call to action on the link or button. Don’t assume the user will naturally click on his own.
User Interface (UI Design)
1. Create clear and clean contrast for your navigation. If a user is hovering over your menu, make it clearly apparent that they are doing so. In addition, make sure that the color contrast that’s created during the hover is attractive to the eye. Certain colors can seem confusing or plain messy.
2. Make your pull down, tabbed, or “hamburger” icon menus easily clickable and dragable. There’s nothing worse than having to fuss with a menu so that you can actually use it in the first place. Make the icons or tabs large enough to click on and make sure to calibrate the sensitivity to swiping.
3. Use breadcrumbs to help users find what they’re looking for. Breadcrumb links are incredibly helpful because they allow users to browse to their desired content. It’s ideal to use them in specific categories as opposed to the difference sections. For example, rather than the home page linking to the about us page, link from the’ types of widgets’ to ‘square widgets’ and on the square widgets page, link back to the ‘types of widgets’ page.
Usability
1. Try changing your font style, font size, and font spacing. If you’re still using Arial or Times New Roman, it’s time to step your web design into the modern age. Many websites have stopped using these fonts and have switched to fonts that are easier to read and are bigger than what you would find on a Wikipedia page. Better font results in improved engagement and higher content consumption which is what you want.
2. Set up custom 404 pages. There’s no telling how a user will find your site and that’s why you want to be prepared to lead users in the right direction if one of your pages no longer exists. Create a custom 404 page that is representative of your brand or web design and helpfully leads the user to the proper navigation page.
3. Get rid of obtrusive ads and pop ups. Don’t force ads and pop ups down users’ throats. Instead, figure out a way to integrate them nicely into your site and content. If one of your goals is to get users to subscribe to an email list, try to use a pop up that follows them throughout the content but leave it on the side so that users have the option to subscribe later.