Usability and user experience affect how easy your website is to use, and therefore, the more enjoyable and functional your site is to use, the longer people will stick around. They’ll also be able to find the information they need faster, which make them more likely to come back or make a purchase if it is an eCommerce site.
In web design, usability refers to how easy a website is for visitors to use (i.e. interact with). Some sites are “form over function”, visually stunning but difficult to navigate,. This makes it hard for users to find what they need. Such websites are on the low end of the usability scale.
User Experience (UX) is all about the way visitors “feel” about interacting with your website. Usability is about ease of use while UX is about experience.
Both elements are important. If users can’t find the information they need quickly, they’ll typically leave.
The more difficult your website is to use, the higher your bounce rate will be.
A poor experience can mean fewer return visitors, less referral traffic, and even a decrease in conversions.
Usability and UX are very closely connected. In most cases, poor usability leads to a disappointing UX.
Creating a good usable design is simple if you keep a few fundamental techniques in mind.
Content that is split over multiple pages requires a clear navigation system to enable users to navigate between them using menus. Navigating your site should be easy!
Your website may look stunning and be easy to navigate, but if it feels sluggish visitors will leave and you will lose out on potential conversions.
A lot of the content you interact with online is text-based. Choose a font that is legible and a colour that contrasts nicely with the background. If your design makes it difficult to read content, then you have a usability problem.
There’s a reason light backgrounds are popular on websites and in print. It is simpler to implement high-contrast elements and ensure readability when you’re working with a white background. Those contrasts, in turn, help lead your visitors’ eyes to the content they want to find.
A website needs to work on screens of all sizes from large widescreens to phones. These days, people consume more content through their mobile devices than they do on desktop computers. So a website needs to take into consideration all screen sizes.
This is where responsiveness becomes important. This feature enables your site to work smoothly regardless of what device it’s displayed on.
The better your site’s UI/UX, the more users will enjoy their experience. Aim for your site to have an excellent design, outstanding content, and be simple to use.
