One feature Google and other search engines consider when ranking pages is user-friendliness. The goal for page ranking is to show the most helpful websites for consumers, so user-friendly websites are important for SEO.
Things to consider:
- Clarity: Use headers and subheadings to help users easily navigate a website and find information quickly.
- Loading speed: Studies have shown that if a page takes longer than 2 seconds to load, the user forms a negative impression and will likely bounce back and never return.
- Responsiveness: Have elements on pages react to the user’s interaction. For example, when someone hovers over a link, the link changes color.
- Consistency in Design: Be consistent in both visual design and user interface. Inconsistency confuses the user.
- Websites have generally accepted practices that users have learned overtime. People who click on three small lines in the corner of a website page expect to see the navigation menu.
- Accessibility: Make your website user-friendly and accessible to everyone. Including alt text is essential for the visually impaired when using a screen reader.
- Check out my article on alt text discussing best practices.
- Check out my article on alt text discussing best practices.
Solutions:
- Research best practices for website design, as well as industry standards and practices.
- Create a branding guide for a consistent design: establish a set color palette, type hierarchy, button style, etc.
- Map out the User’s Journey. Pretend to be a customer or visitor and go through your website. Record insights, strengths, weaknesses.
- Use the right image file size to balance quality with long loading times. Typically the smaller the device the smaller the image file should be.
- Test your website. Have a stranger or someone unfamiliar with your work look at your website. Write down any points where they are confused. If they are looking for something and can’t find the answer under 2 minutes, consider changing the page structure.
3 Responses
I like how you made this in a list format and had problems and solutions for the essay. It really helps bring out within your blog post each point that is important and helps the reader. The information about clarity, loading speed, responsiveness etc. is helpful to the reader to understand how to be more user-friendly.
Making websites user-friendly is probably one of the most important things regarding SEO. If a user can’t use your page well, then you are attracting no SEO and there goes your website. I like how you provided solutions to where some people may be struggling, and great job using a link in your text to take you to another blog you’ve written!
People often overlook the importance of having a user-friendly website. This can be detrimental because even if your website has all the important information that a user needs and is looking for, but isn’t easy to navigate, people will quickly leave the site. People value efficiency and convenience and if this isn’t present in your site, it will drive users away very quickly.