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7 May, 2022 | web page design

7 Usability Issues & Fixes for your web page design

7 Usability Issues & Fixes for your web page design
You may have the zeal to learn and blend your knowledge with creativity to design your website on your own, but that may or may not be the right decision.  With the portfolio designing or creating your website, it may be a huge deal, but for a business, a site means a lot.  Unlike professional web designers, you may not be very particular about the minute details. Usability is crucial for web page design. You aim to please each of your visitors in a way that they stick to your site for a longer time.  Here, we will be talking about some of the most common mistakes that happen to occur more often. 
  • Unclickable click sections:

    When you are using the ready to implement themes for your website, this is one of the most common usability issues. The CTA buttons and clickable sections are added on the website to click and let your customers interact. But, if they aren’t working well, the opposite happens. These small click buttons turn out to be the primary reason behind users leaving your website. Since people are visiting your website across different devices, the size of the clickable button may not be easy to click. 
    • An idea to fix: You can check the responsiveness of the theme. Further, with CSS “padding” property, you can increase the size of the clickable area or option. You can copy this code in your CSS file and apply it for different classes and id. 
 
<a href="https://www.examplesite.com" style="padding: 5px;">Example Site<a>
 
  • Pointless use of pagination:

    The concept of pagination is to split the content of a single web page to numerous pages. It is introduced with the notion to shorten the page length upto certain extent. Since lengthy pages will have more content and media elements, it can reduce the loading speed of the website. Mostly, pagination is applied for blog pages on the site. 
Though it is a usability feature, people on the web are using it in a not-so justified way. Since long-form content is in trend, companies are creating more lengthy content, just like creating an e-book. To drive more benefits from the perspective of SEO, these sites are then set to split in several distinct blogs. In such a case, if a reader is interested in reading, the page views increases, else you will find some of the customers who won’t be able to navigate to the right blog. This pattern introduces time to break the user attention and can negatively impact the ranking of the website.
  • An idea to fix: If you are using any such tactic to improve the count of blogs or for whatever reasons, we recommend you not to follow this idea of pagination on your website. 
  • Duplicate page titles:

    We aren’t talking about the title of your but that of your website pages. In the development phase, we often keep deleting and adding new pages, making changes and update. But, if you are making your website live; you must be cautious about it. The title of the web page is displayed in the title bar at the head of your website. The title of your web page tells the usability of your websites to the search engines like Google, Yahoo, and others.
Also, it plays a crucial role in the viewpoint of SEO. The page title builds the credibility of your website and the efforts you make to improve the experience of search engines as well as your users. Optimized results and known to answer queries of the users at the earliest. By default, the page title includes the name of your site and primary title of the web page of displayed content. But, you can edit and update while managing the SEO of your site. Now, either you remember to audit your site and update all the SEO and general settings of your site, or better keep track of these things right from the first phase of website designing
  • Misaligned content copy:

    Since you have the basic layout of web page design ready for you, you must concentrate on improving your content copy. You have probably heard a lot that ‘content is the king’ and it’s reasonably true. You can hire the professional writers to create more personalized sales copy for your website, but your work isn’t done yet. 
As a web designer, you need to set the content on your website and update its typography, such that it can grab the attention of the user. That’s a common expectation that a user will visit a page; they will look into it completely. However, it doesn’t happen.
    • Ideas to fix: 

      • To make the most out of your website, you need to understand the interaction pattern of the visitors. If you already have a site, you can refer to the heatmaps to get a better understanding of the user behaviour. 
      • When you are talking about any product or service on the website, don’t just add all extent. Use some vector images, icons that tell the utility of that feature. You can add bullet points when you are listing the benefits of these features. The bite-size content is easier to digest in comparison to that of detailed pages. 
      • Don’t forget to check all H1, H2, H3 tags for your detailed content. You can utilize the typography options to gain the user attention towards the content. Be precise and ready to cut, whenever and wherever it seems necessary. 
    • Closing doors of user interaction:

      You have created your websites for the users. So, they must be open to interaction with your readers and visitors wherever possible. If you are simply creating a blog, you will be able to get the feedback. For a website dedicated to the business, the visitors can be a sales lead. That’s why the contact page is set to be mandatory for every website. By the fear of spam mails and blank calls, sometimes businesses avoid adding their contact information. The phone calls can be really irritating, but you must not remove mails. 
  • Ideas to fix: 

      • You can encrypt the email that you put on the contact page, to avoid spamming. 
      • Make your contact number clickable so that it can be navigated to the call log directly. This increases the chance of a greater number of users interacting with you. 
      • Captcha codes are another barrier to smooth user interaction on any website. It’s really pathetic to give proof of your existence as a human and that too multiple times. You can replace captcha with other verification ideas like sum. It can be less tricky and easier. 
  • No search usability: Not all the people on your site are coming as a visitor. Some people already know what they are looking for, mostly this occurs on the ecommerce sites. Such customers won’t spend a long time on your web pages or even the home page. They like to search for the product and navigate to the set page directly. By not enabling the search option on your website, you will surely disappoint all those dedicated visitors. Since those visitors know what they want, they are more likely to convert. 
    • An idea to fix: 
      • As a quick fix, you can simply add the search option by looking into the theme and checking internal options. For a better view, search option must be added on the home page of the site. You don’t have to check with your developer for same. You can check for search box code on Google and try below code to improve the search feature of your website: 
<form action="https://www.google.com/search" method="get"> <fieldset> <input type="hidden" name="sitesearch" value="wedowebapps.com" /> <input type="text" name="q" size="31" maxlength="255" value="" /> <input type="submit" value="Google Search" /> </fieldset> </form>
 
    • Here’s the search code for search box of Yahoo: 
<form action="https://search.yahoo.com/search" method="get"> <fieldset> <input type="hidden" name="vs" value="wedowebapps.com" /> <input type="text" name="p" /> <input type="submit" value="Yahoo Search" /> </fieldset> </form>
  You can replace the name of the website in the value section and use it for your website.
  • Detailed registration pages:

    Be it a blog platform or an ecommerce site, users like the easy options. If you think it is very much crucial for the customer to register their account, you must check your registration page. A lengthy registration page improves the chances of customers leaving your website and interacting with some other company offering similar services. 
Companies often collect user information to enhance user experience. If users start moving just because of all that information collection mode, it is undoubtedly not a prefered option. 
  • Ideas to fix: 

    • To improve the usability of your registration pages, you can narrow down the options displayed on the registration page. Once the user completes registration, you can drop a welcome mail and request to complete the profile. If the user is willing to make necessary changes, it will be done. 
    • If you are offering a free service to your customer like Pixlr, an app that allows users to create graphics and edit images for free; you can skip the login options. Also, you can keep registration as an optional thing. 
    • If you are running an ecommerce store, you must allow guest checkout as an option. In this way, you won’t be losing any customer just because of the registration process. 
So, these were the common issues that the majority of people come across while creating their websites. If you need expert assistance or thinking of redesigning you can write to us at sales@www.wedowebapps.co.uk. We have been successfully serving the industry as the website design company for more than a decade. We have an immense team of professionals and creative minds that can help you optimize your website results with our ideas. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the biggest usability issues you've encountered on web pages, and how did they affect your experience as a user?

there are many commonly reported usability issues encountered on web pages. Some of the biggest include slow loading times, complicated navigation menus, excessive pop-ups and ads, broken links, poor mobile optimization, confusing layouts, and unclear calls to action. These issues can frustrate users, decrease engagement, and lead to high bounce rates. It's important for web designers and developers to prioritize usability testing and continually refine their websites to ensure a positive user experience.

2. What are some common misconceptions about web page usability, and how can these misconceptions be addressed?

One common misconception about web page usability is that it's all about aesthetics. However, aesthetics are only a small part of usability. Usability is really about making sure that users can easily and efficiently accomplish their tasks on a website. Another misconception is that what's usable for one person is usable for everyone. In reality, different users have different needs and expectations, which means that usability testing must be done with a diverse group of users in order to ensure that the website works for everyone. To address these misconceptions, it's important to prioritize functionality over aesthetics when designing a website. Conducting usability testing with a diverse group of users is also critical to ensuring that the website is easy to navigate and meets the needs of all users. Additionally, it's important to keep up with current best practices in web design and usability by staying informed about industry standards and trends.

3. What are some of the most effective strategies for ensuring that your website is accessible to all users?

One of the most important strategies for making your website accessible is to use semantic HTML markup, which helps people with disabilities navigate your website more easily. This includes using heading tags in the correct order, labeling form fields clearly, and including alt text for images. Additionally, make sure your website is compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies by testing it with these tools. You can also offer alternative ways to access content, such as transcripts for videos or audio descriptions for images. Lastly, make sure your website is navigable with a keyboard and avoid relying on mouse-only interactions. Consider consulting with an accessibility expert or following best-practices guidelines to ensure that your website is accessible to all users.

4. What are some common usability issues that you've noticed on UK-based websites?

some common usability issues reported by users in UK-based websites include slow loading times, hard-to-navigate menus, cluttered interfaces, lack of mobile responsiveness, and confusing checkout processes. Additionally, unclear or inadequate information about products or services, conflicting information, and poor content formatting can also negatively impact user experience. It is essential for websites to prioritize user experience and constantly update and improve their site based on user feedback.

5. What are some best practices for designing an optimal user experience on a website, especially for UK audiences?

When designing a website for a UK audience, it's important to keep in mind the following best practices: 1. Use clear and concise language that is tailored to the UK audience. 2. Make sure the website is mobile-friendly, as many UK users browse on their smartphones and tablets. 3. Consider the use of local imagery, such as recognizable landmarks or cultural references. 4. Ensure that the website loads quickly, as UK internet speeds are known to be fast. 5. Incorporate easy navigation and intuitive site architecture, making it easy for users to find what they are looking for. 6. Highlight the website's security measures, as UK users are conscious of online security. 7. Provide multiple payment options, such as PayPal or credit/debit card, and ensure that the payment process is easy to follow. 8. Offer a local customer service number or chat support for UK users to easily reach customer service representatives.

Nikki
Written by Nikki

As a Business Analyst at WEDOWEBAPPS, Nikki has helped to bring many positive transformations to the company. She guided the company to get ready for fluctuation in the market and future long-term growth. She specialized in providing excellent leadership, training, and mentorship to employees.