How easy is your website to use for a new visitor? Can they locate everything they need, and is their experience on your page a pleasant, simple one? When we talk about the functionality of your website we are talking about what your website does, and how it works for visitors. It examines how easily users can find the information they are seeking.
If you want your visitors to be able to find their way on your website and to understand, at a glance, how your website works, you need to examine your site’s functionality. So how can you do that? Here are a few ways you can improve your site’s overall functionality.
Navigation
With search engine optimization (SEO) and Google’s algorithms, there will be many times that visitors first enter your website on one of your “child pages--” that is, not on your homepage or one of your main pages. They might end up at one of your blog posts, or they might end up on a product page.
When this happens, it needs to be clear to your visitors how to get back to your homepage, or how to get elsewhere. There are all kinds of current trends in navigation, it just needs to be easy to use and easy to find on every page.
Web Forms
Web forms are a great way to generate leads. Maybe you offer gated content, or maybe you send a discount code in the mail. However you entice your site’s visitors to fill out a web form, you want to make it easy for them.
If you ask for too much unnecessary information, or if they have to click through multiple pages of a web form, users won’t want to complete or submit the form. Instead, keep the form simple and focus on the most important, relevant information. Here are a few examples of web forms that are worth investigating.
Make It Responsive
If functionality is all about making your website easy to use, you need to pay attention to how easy it is to use on mobile devices too. How should you go about doing this? You could create an entirely different mobile-friendly website. Or you could have an all-in-one responsive website design that works beautifully on laptops, tablets, phones, and other devices.
There are a few differences between mobile-friendly website design and responsive website design. But the most important thing is that it works on any device, on any screen size. Why? Because 60% of users refuse to come back to a website if the design is not responsive. So make your website easy to view, no matter the screen it’s on. You can find out how mobile-friendly your website is here.
Keep Your Pages Consistent
If your navigation bar or your call-to-action button jump around from page to page on your website, users won’t know how to find anything. Additionally, you should keep fonts, colors, headers, button styles, and all other design choices the same. Why is this? Because it helps your users know what to expect and teaches them how to use your website.
Consistency establishes trust and credibility, and it encourages your visitors to get comfortable and browse through your site. If they have to struggle to find the link to your home page because it’s in a different place on your blog pages than it is on your product pages, they’ll get frustrated. Make it easy for them to stay by remaining consistent.
Make a Plan
What is the ultimate goal of your website? Is it for users to make a purchase, or to sign up for your emails? Whatever it is, any features that support your end goal should be the primary focus of your website-- they should be clear and locatable on every page.
You can improve your functionality by gearing your website to your end goal. After all, chances are your visitors’ end goal is the same as yours. So if the “buy now” button is important, make it visible and easy to find.
Other Things to Consider
What else can you do to boost functionality? It depends on your business and the goals you have for your website. Here are a few ideas:
- A well-working search bar
- A social sharing tool (that is easy to find and always in the same place)
- A video library or photo gallery
Can we help you re-tool your website with a focus on functionality? At Webbege, we are passionate about developing websites that work for you, and are user-friendly.
Let us get your website started down the road of functionality. Contact us today.
