How to increase website conversion?

Every business strives for a steady stream of customers. It is not enough to provide visits to the store. The usability of the site determines the convenience of using the site, the time spent on the page, the percentage of refusals, etc. Usability helps to retain the visitor and encourage him to purchase a product or take another action.

The usability of the site also affects the position in the search results. The first search page includes sites with a well-thought-out structure, clear menu, functional and user-friendly design. If the website is inconvenient, users quickly leave it. The positions of such sites are not the best.

What you need to know about website usability

It is impossible to please all Internet users, because everyone has their own preferences. In any case, it is necessary to adhere to the usability standards of the web site, regarding the design, structure and other points. This includes the following items:

1. Convenient and functional design. The web resource should be simple and understandable for users to quickly find the pages they need.
2. Sophisticated navigation. Place the main sections in the top panel of the site, and the additional sections vertically, preferably on the left.
3. The minimum number of errors. Strive to ensure that the web resource is available to users around the clock. Customize your 404 error page in advance.
4. A cap. First of all, users look at the header of the site. It must include the name of the company, logo, contacts and other important information.
5. Quality content. The texts on the site should not only be of high quality and interesting, but also be well-structured. Hardly anyone likes to read long texts, so it is important to visually separate them. Use capacious headings, pictures, design lists with enumerations. The correct structure allows you to highlight the main points.
6. Download speed. The site must load quickly. The user will not wait more than 3 seconds for the page to open. It is easier for him to close the site and go to another.

Why improve your site's usability?

On the Internet, there is enough "garbage" and pages with an unusual design solution that confuse the user. Users only need to familiarize themselves with the site for 5-10 seconds to make a decision: stay on it or look for another.

No one lingers for a long time on web sites with confusing navigation, incomprehensible interface and too bright design. Therefore, it is very important to work on improving usability, which will lead to better website performance and increased revenue.

Let's say there are 2 sites that spend the same advertising budget, but their usability is radically different. In this case, the web resource that is more convenient to use will have a huge flow of loyal customers. If users understand everything, they will have fewer questions. As a result, the costs for managers will be lower.

Having worked on the usability of a web resource, you will gain an edge over your competitors. In any case, users will prefer the site that is more convenient to use.

Tips to Improve Site Usability

Improving the usability of a web resource is a whole range of measures. Usability errors can get expensive. Let's take a look at practical recommendations that will help you design your site and improve conversion.

1. Optimize your website loading speed

First of all, it is important to check the loading speed of the web resource. As you know, time is money. And if the site takes too long to load, the user will quickly leave it and go looking for sites with more convenient usability. It will no longer matter to him what the site has a visual design, menu and other elements.

To optimize the loading speed of a web resource, you can use, for example, Google PageSpeed ​​Insights. Plus, it's completely free. He will analyze the download speed, give a score on a 100-point scale. Also, this service provides tips to help fix errors.

2. Design the site according to the topic

Having entered a web resource, it immediately becomes clear what kind of site it is: construction, medical or legal. For each theme of the site, a separate set of corporate colors is selected, a logo is created, and so on.

Do not forget that very bright colors tire the eyes, irritate, which is why users do not stay on it for a long time. When developing structural elements, filling out pages, you should always take into account the subject of the resource. With diligent efforts, your site will begin to build trust and users will be more likely to study it.

3. Make reading as comfortable as possible

Discard huge, unstructured texts. No one wants to read the "sheet". In order for the user not to leave the site, it is necessary to interest him. That is, to attract attention with catchy headlines, unusual pictures, infographics, videos. The main thing is not to use too many pictures and animated elements. On the contrary, it is repulsive.

Pay attention to fonts and backgrounds. They should look harmonious, complement each other perfectly. If you want something unusual, you will have to experiment to find a new solution.

4. Take care of easy navigation and simple structure

For the first 1-3 seconds, users look at the web resource with a quick glance. During this time, they have a first impression.

The site should be easy to navigate. If nothing is clear from the first seconds, the user will leave the site and start looking at competitors' web resources.

5. Write quality content

You need to write texts primarily for people, and not just for search engines. The text should contain answers to questions that people may have during the purchase process. The content on the site must be unique and useful. There should not be any copy-paste and spamming. If the text is written for the sake of text, users will not stay on such a site for a long time.

6. Call to action

Always contact each user, unobtrusively inviting him to use the service or make a purchase of this or that product, leave a request, register or leave a comment. As a result, users get the impression of being remembered and cared for.

7. Add blocks with reviews and comments

Leave real customer reviews to increase user confidence. It is also important to open comments under the articles so that a person understands that the site has feedback from users, and the company helps to resolve any issues.

Blocks with reviews and comments increase user engagement, make them return to the site more than once.

8. Adapt the web resource for mobile devices

Traffic from smartphones has exceeded 50%. Many people make purchases on the Internet from smartphones or tablets. Website responsiveness is a must these days.

The web resource must be displayed correctly on any screens. The site should have a clear menu, easy-to-read texts, fonts. Check if all buttons are working, if the design is floating. Avoid small elements in the chart, as they can spoil the look of the platform on mobile.

What mistakes should not be made when working on website usability

Not everyone knows how to properly improve the usability of a web site. It often happens that by making the site as user-friendly as possible, the behavioral factors only get worse.

It is important to consider the following points:

1. Don't use too many advertisements. It is acceptable in moderation. If there are more ads than useful content, users will quickly leave such a platform. If you abuse advertising for a long time, search engines can impose a filter.
2. Avoid using too intrusive calls to action. At the very least, this annoys users. The main thing here is to observe the measure.
3. Do not allow videos to automatically play when you visit a web resource. Don't make such a stupid mistake. The user may just be ready to watch the video. He might be at work, an important meeting, or browsing the site at night. A sharp turn on of a video with a loud sound will leave a bad opinion about the web resource.
4. Don't use tricky colors. Bright and acidic colors make information difficult to read. Give preference to calm and classic colors. The color that is comfortable for the eyes will position it to the web resource.

Output

Always pay attention to the above points and recommendations. Small details also play an integral role for the desired result, so you shouldn't forget about them. If you manage to implement these points, the usability will improve and the site will become much more user-friendly. As a result, traffic and conversion of users into buyers will increase.