Assessment: Is Your Website Easy to Use?
When viewers cannot find what they are looking for within two or three pages, they click away to your competitors. We use the following benchmarks in evaluating your website’s navigability.
Navigation buttons and menus
Multiple navigation schemes are confusing. Put all your navigation buttons in one place, either across the top or down one side. Use drop-downs or expanding accordions for sub-menus. Keep lists as short as you can. (Want to learn more? Website Navigation Best Practices.)
Organization of content
If your website has more than “just a few” pages, organize them into clusters that viewers will understand. Services and About us are typical groups on many websites. Include a site map that shows the structure of your site. Show where a page is located in the overall website structure. (Want to learn more? Organize content based on audience needs. Also: Website usability: Organizing content.)
“See also”
Viewers become annoyed if they must always click backwards to see something else they are interested in. Provide links to other relevant pages within your text. Make all your pages as accessible as possible through the navigation sub-menus. Provide a search feature.
Visual layout
A clean, simple layout makes it easier for viewers to hear your message and follow your content. Avoid the temptation to put “everything but the kitchen sink” on the home page or other pages. Too many things to look at generates confusion. (Want to learn more? Articles and tutorials about graphic design.)
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