Howto: Improve your Site

Today I will be looking at a few easy ways to improve your site.

• Clear Link Identification

Make sure links are identified as such. Underline them and don’t ever underline text that is not clickable. Refrain from using blue text to highlight text. Users have become conditioned to think that blue text is clickable, especially if the main body of text is not blue.

• Consistent Page Layout

Design a grid or template for your site that allows show your content in a consistent way. Unless you have a very good reason for doing so, don’t constantly change the order or location of elements. Don’t ever confuse the user.

• Clarity

Whenever a user is viewing your page it should be clear to them where they are on your site. Highlight the appropriate menu item for example, or put clear titles at the top of your page.

• Legibility

Check that your text is legible. It might look cool to have light gray text on a white background but this is hardly a good way to stimulate users to read what you have written. Be sure to use the correct spacing between characters. Too much spacing in the main body of text is hardly ever a good idea. Headers however can use some more room.

• Whitespace

One of the easiest ways to make your site easier to use and more pleasant to look at is to strip it of some of it’s more redundant features or content. Which features are unnecessary might be tough to judge, do a user test to find out what people aren’t using. Remember, because you can build it doesn’t mean you should use it on your site.

• Stick to Conventions

It might sound boring but a menu bar on the left of your site is infinitely more user friendly than, for example, a floating menu that follows the cursor around. Similar to links, people have become accustomed to a certain way of navigating a site, it is usually a good idea to not reinvent the wheel but stick to what is already out there, unless of course you have discovered a brilliant innovation and you can’t possibly keep it all to yourself.