Web usability is probably one of the most important and at the same time most underrated contexts of web design. Your website will be of high quality if enhanced by web usability concepts. Alternatively, it will remain relegated to mediocrity, where most websites are generally positioned.
Thanks to web usability, a user immediately understands which type of website he is browsing and what information it contains. The user gets an idea of these concepts within 6 seconds. If he feels comfortable, he will remain on the website, deepening the visit to the other pages. On the other hand, if he has a hint of confusion and has had a negative user experience, it will be very likely that he will abandon it shortly.
Website consistency is another key point. It must be consistent on every page and in the browsing system, which should be as simple as possible. By implementing these fundamental principles and carrying out tests with users, usable websites induce for intuitive, simple and fast navigation.
how users navigate
The motto of web usability is "Don't make me think". Users must never ask themselves what to do to get information, but it must be a natural process for them, without thinking about it. Users visit websites in an almost standard way. They expect to find the main navigation menu below or next to the logo and the in-depth menu on the left or right of the page.
If they don't find the information they are looking for, or browsing the website becomes an impossible feat, they will leave very quickly. The web designer's job is to offer a graphic layout that conforms to their standard and understandable at a glance, making it easy to understand how to move around the website.
what users want
Users don't want to read sensational phrases and commercial sales pitches. They want to find what they are looking for immediately and get information about it. And of course they expect this to be quick and easy. If not, they will search other websites. From the many usability tests carried out it was understood that graphics and animations are an added value in websites, but what really matters is the content. The web was born for this! Keep this in mind because also search engines think in these terms about SEO.
It is also important that the links make it clear what the content of the page you are heading to is. A link with a text like this: "discover the fantastic new product" does not make you understand anything about the product. While "swiffy, the professional vacuum cleaner" makes you understand much more: the type of product and the target customers. This type of link helps once again SEO, implementing the name of the product and a primary keyword (vacuum cleaner) within the link.
tests and principles of usability
It is possible to create websites that are usable by implementing the basic concepts of web usability. But only with examinations and tests carried out with users it is possible understand if a web interface has been designed correctly or if a menu is intuitive. What a web designer can consider usable in the design phase, could be not such for the end user. This is why users are used in usability tests from the earliest design stages.
Some web usability issues have much in common with those of web accessibility. The texts, for example, must be written specifically for the web and take into account the target users to whom they will be directed, making them understandable to all types of users.
benefit of web usability
Web usability is fundamental in all types of websites, but more specifically in institutional, corporate and especially in e-commerce websites. Usable websites allow to find information and proceed with the purchase of a product in a simple and direct way, greatly improving the purchase percentages. The forms are designed in such a way that it never requires a commitment that discourages the user from filling them out.
Knowing the benefits of web usability allows to show themeselves to the users and customers with a truly useful website. If users of your website can navigate easily, they will surely remember your brand. If they can find the information they are looking for, they will consider your site reliable and professional, and will be inclined to share their user experience with others.