Improving Website Design for a Better User Experience
Updated April 26, 2022
Suggestions for Website Design Improvements
Every website serves a purpose. From merely providing information to selling products and services to interactive online communities, there are all kinds of options. But the success of any website depends on how usable it is. If your business website is falling short in that regard, improving website design for better usability is a must!
The design of your website has a significant impact on your online success. A well-designed business or e-commerce website compliments your brand image and reputation. Effective web design and usability engage and convert visitors into consumers of your product or service. However, if your website is lacking in design, chances are your visitors will simply move on to your competitor’s site.
Of course, useful and engaging web design is mostly subjective. But some basic principles make up good design. Do you get the feeling that your business website is not all it can be? These tips for improving website design for better usability are a great way to start.
9 Tips for Improving Website Design
Design for Better Page Flow
When users visit your site, they may not be looking for one element in particular. Instead, they might simply glance at a page and let their eyes wander. Therefore, we highly recommend considering how you’ll guide their vision if you want to improve the user experience on all of your pages.
A simple way to do this is to avoid a cluttered screen. It can be hard to know where to look next without white space. Introducing a few blank areas can help visitors focus on what you want them to see.
Another way to apply this strategy is to use the ‘triangle approach.’ This strategy involves putting a single dominant image near the top of your page. Then, as users scroll down, you can fan out your content. Again, this can help users follow your content more naturally.
Provide Engaging Content
Providing engaging content is key to a good website UX. Nowadays, visitors want more than a purchase; they want an experience. A great way to achieve this is by adopting an engaging content strategy.
Effective content strategies focus on telling a brand’s story to establish a connection between a business and its client.
Content can come in any format with the right strategy, such as a blog post, vlog, or even a separate website. In addition, using content to establish a brand identity helps ensure that potential clients know more about you and your business.
Familiarity increases trust; 82% of consumers are more likely to trust a business after reading their custom content.
Focus on Clean Typography
Modern consumers don’t read content; they scan it. By using large text and effective typography on your website, you help your visitors quickly scan the main message or information that you want to share with them. That includes making relevant text bolder, changing the font color, or emphasizing it to grab the attention of your website visitors.
The larger text also makes the content on your website easier to read. Using short paragraphs, and breaking up long sections of text with headings, images, and bullet points is another easy way to improve website design for usability.
Use Attractive Images
Optimizing your text content to satisfy mobile consumers is one way for improving website design for better usability. You can do even better by using attractive and captivating images. Humans are hardwired to respond to visual clues, so why not give them what they want?
Visual content is compelling and influences our feelings, emotions, and even our actions. We recommend using a professional photographer to take photos of your company, team, and products. That way, you get high-quality images for use not only on your website but also on your social platforms and even your company blog.
If you don’t have the budget to invest in a professional photo shoot, you can make use of stock photography to add flair to your site. Keep in mind that using only stock images can work against you.
Use White Space Effectively
The effective use of white space in web design is another very effective strategy for improving website design for better functionality. White space is an intentional space between elements that provides an elegant, clean, and uncluttered look to your business website.
White space can help your most important content stand out and contribute to the visual hierarchy on your website. Keep in mind that white space doesn’t have to be white. Any solid colored background void of any other design elements that would distract from the main message serves as white or empty space.
Add Contrast
Another method for improving website design for better usability is by adding contrast to your design elements. Contrast isn’t just about color. You should consider size contrast as well. White space can help you achieve color contrast to help your visitors differentiate between elements on your website. Size contrast is essential when you don’t intend to play too much with colors in your design.
Size contrast can help you arrange the visual hierarchy on your website. Just like typography, you have to add some size to your elements to make them look more important than other items. Generally speaking, more important design elements should be accordingly more significant.
Use Creative Icons
The use of creative icons can significantly improve web design, as well. You can use symbols to add extra visual appeal to your website or to tell visitors what will happen when they click on particular links or elements. You can use icons throughout your website to bring attention to your menu items, call-to-action-buttons, or else.
Don’t forget to add your social media icons to refer visitors to your social networks as well. Your target audience can be powerful brand advocates, so make sure to use that to your advantage.
Adding icons as a strategy for improving website design for better usability is more straightforward than most people think. Several font icon repositories offer many design styles and options. Icons are also available as stock graphics and images.
Improve Page Transitions
The popularity of the so-called long scroll websites leads to increased use of page transitions as a web design element. Nowadays, it is fashionable to use transitions between page sections, especially if you have a one-page website. For example, parallax effects can provide a smooth transition from one part of a page to another.
If you’re considering using transitions as a strategy for improving website design for better usability, make sure they are smooth, fast, and have a minimum impact on page load times. Quick and smooth transitions help avoid user frustration and site abandonment while improving the visual appeal of your redesigned website.
Optimize Your Website
Lastly, it’s essential to work on the backbone of your site; factors such as speed and mobile responsiveness have a considerable effect on user experience.
A bad user experience, in turn, has consequences on revenue. For instance, high website speed expectations mean visitors are less likely to buy from a slow-loading site. As a result, slow websites cost $2.6 billion in lost sales per year.
Things like site speed optimization and mobile responsiveness aren’t too difficult or expensive to implement. Many web services and tools can help test a site’s performance and optimize any necessary features.
Final Thoughts on Improving Website Design for Better Usability
I hope you like our suggestions for improving website design for better usability. Keep in mind that you may want to consider other website improvements based on your specific needs are requirements. Depending on the nature of your business or industry, you may need to add additional features and design elements to satisfy your audience.
When it comes to improving website design for better usability, the important thing is not to go overboard and add every web design trend. Make sure that every element on your website has a purpose, instead of adding features and design elements because someone tells you they are cool!
The best approach is to optimize your website to meet or exceed the needs of your target audience. Ask yourself what your visitors expect to find, and then give it to them. Otherwise, you simply risk losing existing and potential consumers, which could hurt your business.
How Did Improving Website Design Work for You and Your Business?
Improving website design for better usability is critical if you want to provide the best possible user experience. Usability is especially important if you’re going to attract and engage the ever more demanding mobile consumer.
Our team of professional designers will be happy to help you with this. But, first, look at our portfolio and read our case studies.
Then, if you believe we are a good fit for your web and UX design needs, let’s talk! We offer a full range of consulting and design solutions for businesses and product brands.
Did You Improve Your Website to Provide a Better User Experience?
Did you try out any of our website improvement ideas? Which ones did you try out, and what kind of results did you achieve? Do you have any other tips or ideas for improving web design? Please feel free to comment below so our audience can benefit as well, and grab our feed, so you don’t miss our next post! And feel free to share our post with your audience!
Thank you! We appreciate your help to end bad business websites, one pixel at a time!
By Gregor Saita
Co-Founder / CXO
@gregorsaita
