Take a look at your current web site with fresh eyes. Is it as easy to navigate as it could be? Do you have an easy-to-access web site index page to help readers find the information they want? Do this: use someone who is completely computer illiterate, have them walk through your web site, if they can, the web site will usually pass the test. If you are ready to enjoy bigger profits with a usability redesign, why not contact us? We are a California-based web design company that knows how to get your site usable. Continue reading to see what we're talking about.

According to IBM, every dollar that you spend in improving your company web site’s usability returns about $10 to $100 in increased profitability. Other sources also point to the importance of usability. According to Jakob Nielson, it is possible to increase a company’s sales conversion rate up to 100% simply with a usability redesign of the company’s web site.

Obviously, usability is important --- but what exactly is usability? In web design terms, usability refers to the ease with which site users can find information (or whatever else they are looking for on your site) efficiently and quickly. Usability at its simplest refers to a web site that is well-designed to be easy to use. If you have ever spent a frustrating amount of time on a website, trying to find information that you knew was somewhere on the site, they you probably already appreciate how important usability is.

One of the basic tenets of web design is download time. Pages that score high in usability are usually fast to load. After all, no viewer wants to spend minutes waiting for a web site to open – especially when there are so many other web sites out there that open in seconds. Getting rid of the extras on your pages can help you to increase your download times – and that will make your web page users happy.

Another basic web design concept is convention. Internet users have become used to certain web page formats. Including these conventions on your own site will make it easier for your readers to navigate. These conventions include:

Placing company information in a separate “About Us” section.

Placing your company’s logo in the top-left corner of each page. Each logo should take the reader back to the home page, as well.

A “shopping cart” is used to keep track of reader’s intended purchases. The cart should link directly to a “checkout” when customers are ready to buy.

A navigation menu or links should be provided on each page. These should be in the same spot on each page.

Anything that is placed above the top logo and anything that is flashing or very bright is usually seen as a paid ad.

When you break these conventions trying to create a “different” site, you may be affecting your web page’s usability, so tread carefully!

Another important principle to keep in mind is scanability. Most internet users want information fast. They will not settle in and read a web site the way they would read a book. This means that your site will be far more usable if you bold important items, link to other pages, and use headings to break up articles or pages of text. Where possible, consider using bulleted lists or tables or graphs to get a point across.

When designing your web site, make sure that your readers can use your site in a way that is convenient for them. For example, make sure that the back button is not disabled when a new window is opened. The majority of internet users – 60% according to some surveys – use the back button frequently, and you want them to feel comfortable using the same browsing method on your own site. Another good example is frames. Frames make navigating difficult and make printing and bookmarking your page challenging, if not impossible. Avoid them where possible.

You might want to consider Breadcrumb links also. See the link just below the blue-bar menu at the top. The one that says "home > usable site"? This lets your users know exactly what page they are on and exactly how to get back to the site's home page.

Take a look at your site and if the above mentioned are not on your site, then do contact us immediately for a FREE website Analysis.