There has been quite a bit of digital ink spilled about usability already – and there’s a reason for that. You know SEO and Marketing are critical to drawing customers to visit your website. But once a potential customer is actually on your website, usability is a key factor in creating conversions, and increasing sales.

Why? If visitors and returning customers want to buy from you the it should be easy!

If a user has visited your website, they’re likely interested in what you have to offer. If they have a clear, obvious path towards conversion – whether that’s signing up for a mailing list, adding an item to their cart, or contacting you directly through your website – they will have a better chance of taking it!

If they can’t figure out how to actually convert, they’re likely to become frustrated, and they may leave your site entirely – even if they planned on buying your products.

Though the field of user experience is vast and complex, there are 3 primary things you should do to make your website more user-friendly, and increase your conversion rates.

● Keep It Simple – When in doubt, simplify. This is true in engineering and holds true for web design. While it may be tempting to add third-party widgets, multiple social buttons, multiple forms on a page, comments sections, and more to your website, simpler is almost always better.

Think about it this way. Your user is on a path – and this path is leading towards conversion. Do you really want dozens of additional paths branching off of this main path – or do you want to eliminate these other options, and help your user towards their – and your – desired result?

● Obvious Is Always Better – You don’t want your users to have to think at all when using your website. This means that you should always err on the side of being obvious.

Make sure that clickable buttons are big and bold. Choose page titles that are clear. Keep form fields to the bare minimum. Whatever friction in the way of conversion, try to remove it for your users. The less your visitors have to think, the more naturally they will interact and engage with your website – and that will increase conversions and sales.

● Be Mobile-Friendly – In the first quarter of 2016, mobile devices made up 25% of all eCommerce traffic, and it’s estimated that mobile phones will account for 60% of all web traffic by the end of 2017.

This means that your website must be usable on mobile devices, and use an intuitive, smart responsive design that offers a 1:1 experience – whether on a web browser or a mobile device.

Optimize Your User Experience – And Increase Sales

If you fail to provide a great user experience, you will suffer from loss of traffic, lower conversion rates, and a lower overall rate of customer satisfaction.

So don’t just rely on your SEO and marketing efforts to bring in customers. Focus on a high-quality, usable website that maximizes conversions – and you’re sure to see your business thrive.

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