Five Ways to Improve Web Site Usability	Visited: 547 5.0/5.0 (1 votes total) Rate: Select 1 - Terrible 2 - Poor 3 - Average 4 - Good 5 - Outstanding
by Ken Wisnefski January 12, 2012

If a customer service representative was not engaging customers in the best way possible, would you do something about it?  You would if you're a concerned executive.  Web sites are virtual customer service representatives; in short, sites are extensions of your brand.  A sleek Web design is great to have but the real value of a site is reflected through its usability.  Consider the following suggestions.  Ensure your Web site is serving your consumers.

It's About Them

It's understood; you're proud of your business and want to express such sentiments, yet reserve separate space on your site for self propagation, such as the "about us" or "awards and recognitions" page.  Remember – the large majority of your site should be dedicated to your consumer and not the vanity of your brand.  Make sure the Web design offers value to users and not only reputation of the company.

Interlinking

Many online marketing specialists suggest interlinking because it helps strengthen search engine optimization, but the process also aids with usability.  How are browsers arriving on your pages?  Those who are familiar with your brand may come directly while others may land on individual pages.  The latter group may have a limited understanding of your scope of services.  Interlinking inspires users to browse other pages of your site, illuminating a wider understanding of your brand's products and services.   Additionally, take advantage of a hyperlink tags; let your browsers know where a link is taking them.

Media Rich

In the beginning of Web design, there were limited elements to think about, but things have changed over time, offering more occasions for multimedia.  Aside from text-related information, supplement understanding with video and sound.  For some vendors, offering a multimedia experience greatly enriches the intrigue of offered goods and services.  For example, it may be difficult to capture the essence of your service through textual description.  However, by leveraging video production, a vendor could sufficiently showcase offered services.

Show Don't Tell

This is related to the first subheading and often overlooked by vendors; show, rather than tell about your offered goods and products.  Ensure your Web site illustrates how your goods and services address a customer issue, improving their state rather than address the "superiority" of your brand over the competition.  Every vendor is proud and one-hundred percent behind their respective brand; the customers don't need reminders.  Make sure your Web site clearly poses a consumer-relatable issue then present services and products as the solution.

Come Back Again

Where is the "come back again" sentiment on your Web site?  Does your brand offer ongoing information through a blog?  Does your brand often offer discounts through social media platforms like Twitter?  Do you offer low prices on the Web particular days of the week?  How are you expressing the "come back again" sentiment?  Ideally, you want a consumer to stay with your brand for the long term; imagine your browser, confronted with your brand's site for the first time.  What elements would make you come back?