A user-friendly site is a profit-making site

Design your site for the user, not for yourself

When we go to a supermarket with or without the intention of buying something, the first thing that attracts our attention is the organization of products on the shelves, the quickness of the billing procedure, any extra benefits or free goodies offered, the services of the workers, and last but not the least, a feeling of warmth and personal touch oozing out of the whole place. As a supermarket owner does everything possible to make the customers feel at home in his store, so should you to make every single visitor who coms to your site.

Must Have Features of a user-friendly web site

1. Fast loading-Do not make the visitor wait for more than 30 seconds to reach your site. Remeber that the people who surf the net are very busy and are looking for some specific information. If you test their patience for too long, they will leave your site and move ahead. Make them remember your name, logo, and message on the home page only. Faster loading also makes you the favorites of search engines to be ranked higher.

2. Relevant and Simple information-The main purpose of a website is to provide information that is relevant and focused to what you provide or offer. And if this information is provided in simple plain English, you have hit the Jackpot!!!! There is no need to show off your knowledge of vocabulary or language mechanics on the website, just give the readers what they want in short and simple manner. Product and Contact information link should come on the home page only, and within three clicks, the visitor should get what he wants.

3. An easily navigable site map- Don't make the navigation tree a complicated puzzle for the visitors that they have to solve. Respect their time and effort using logical headings and link descriptions. Cookie crumbs can be a great help to inform the visitors of the category and page they are browsing. It is just like guiding visitors who have come to your house for the first time, by showing them the path. Your Site map should link to every page so that the vistors don't have to go to the home page everytime to link to different pages in your site.

4. Subscription options-If you are offering the visitors some subscription offers for, may be, newsletters in order to retain them, do ensure all the email forms work properly.

5. The right colors-Use colors that complement your products and services. Maintain a balance and consistency in the use of colors. Do not confuse the visitors with the use of very jarring/bold or totally dull colors. Keep in mind your target audience, and use the colors accordingly.