In my first site design post I discussed the importance of understanding your customer’s goals to help build a successful website that is easy to use. This time, I’m going to cover some other best practices you can follow to make website improvements, including web conventions, language, and simplicity.
Follow Web conventions
Many site designs try to be unique, new or different to separate them from the crowd.
Kirk Doggett
This can be a mistake when unique site designs are harder for customers to figure out how to use. If you want customers to stay around, it’s more important to make sure your site is as easy as possible to use. Don’t make your customers learn a new way to navigate or a new way to recognize links.
People learn how to use the web by visiting websites. The most popular websites therefore, are the ones that are most familiar to people, and these help set website conventions or best practices. Sites like Google, Yahoo, MSN, & eBay get many thousands of visitors, and as people get familiar with these sites, they learn how the navigation and links work. They then expect other sites to work in the same way. Customers want to learn once and not re-learn new ways of navigating on different sites.
Some examples of established website conventions include:
- Main Navigation located on the left or top of the page
- Placement of a Home link and logo in the top left of all pages
- Use of underlined and/or blue text to indicate links
- Consistent placement of important features
- Accurate, helpful page titles
By following web conventions, it helps make your website easier for your customers to use.
Use plain language
When writing the text for your website, there are some best practices you can follow to make your site successful. First, use everyday plain language. This means using words that are familiar to your target audience. Address your customers at their level. For example, most newspapers write for a broad audience and reportedly try to write for an 8th grade reading level. If you use Microsoft Word you can set it to check reading grade level for your text.
Short and Sweet
Keep your text concise. This means to write simply and directly without going on too long. Many studies have shown that “people don’t read on the web,” especially if the words feel too dense, so it is important to make your text easy to read and easy to scan. Try cutting your word count in half. On the web, sometimes less is more when it comes to readability and ease of use.
Perhaps the easiest way to get information in digestible doses is to use targeted bullet points. For example if you were selling T-shirts here’s an example of effective bullet points:
- 100% Organic Cotton
- Sizes run small so order one size larger than usual
- Wash before wearing; not pre-shrunk
Bullets are great because they are short and easily scannable
Finally, avoid technical jargon unless it applies specifically to your business and your customers are looking for specialized information.
Wrap up
The three points discussed today are all interrelated. By following web conventions, using plain language, and keeping it short and sweet you will help make your site easy to use for your customers. When customers can find the information they seek or can buy the product they want, they feel good about your site and your business. When a customer has a good experience on your site it can increase their loyalty and help them become an advocate for your site and your business.
From time to time, members from the VistaPrint staff will contribute articles to the VistaPrint Small Business Blog. Today we have a post from Kirk Doggett, the User Experience Principal at VistaPrint.
