Simply launching a WordPress site online isn’t enough. Today’s web audience is quite demanding and somewhat spoiled. They’re looking for usable and visually- attractive sites that provide valuable information. Learn the top 6 tips to help you improve the usability of your WordPress website.
Luckily, WordPress is a powerful CMS used by over 30% of the sites available on the Internet. And considering there are over 1.3 billion active websites, this means that about 835 million of them are using WP right now! Top companies like TechCrunch, Sony Music, and BBC America are among these websites.
So, to make your WordPress website more functional and usable, check out these 6 tips.
1 Pick a Great Host
Every website story begins with a good host. Reliable web hosting is a precondition for better site functionality. There are many options, offering different features in different pricing plans.
When choosing a hosting provider for your website, you need to consider two things. The first is your budget, and the second is the data you need to share on your website. Shared hosting means you’ll need to share space with other websites, but it might be a perfect solution if your budget is modest. It’s also a good choice for websites just starting and haven’t reached broader audiences yet.
It is also essential to pick a host that guarantees safe, regular backups. A hosting plan that includes regular backups will ensure that all the data on your website is protected.
Finally, choose a hosting plan that includes fast page loading speed. Nearly 85% expect a website to load in 3 seconds or less. So, to prevent your customers from leaving, you mustn’t let them wait too long for your site to load. As a result, it is good to improve your WordPress website’s usability.
2 Pay Attention to the Design and Navigation
Always remember that usability is more important than looks when it comes to websites.
When designing your site, remove any elements that could confuse your visitors. People like predictable web designs, so you won’t have to reinvent the wheel here.
You also need to ensure visitors have no problem finding what they’re looking for on your site. Here’s how you can do it: Top tips to help website usability.
- Place the navigation panel at the top of the page because that’s where users expect it to be.
- Add an Ajax-based search box next to the site’s main navigation panel.
- Have categories listed in the archives, breadcrumbs, and sidebar.
Using intuitive navigation will improve the browsing experience and make your WP site more functional.
3 Be Selective When Installing WP Plugins To Improve Usability Of WordPress Website
You can use hundreds of plugins to improve your WordPress website’s functionality. Many premium WordPress templates also include extensions that are fit for specific purposes. For instance, this might be a WordPress search plugin, slider, online booking form, or WP contact form.
Although you can choose from a sea of great plugins, you must be selective when installing them. Only install those you need and, if possible, try to condense several features into a single plugin. Having lots of plugins is not necessarily bad, but testing for updates will require more effort.
4 Integrate Your Site with Social Media
Integrating your WP website with social media will make it appear more user-friendly. In addition, you’ll increase the chances of more people engaging with your business. Here are a few ideas on how you can pull it off:
- Use the social login feature instead of asking visitors to fill in registration forms.
- Add social media widgets to display the latest publications on your site pages.
- Add social sharing options to allow visitors to spread the word about your website.
Many WP themes have essential social media integration, but you can add it with a social media WP plugin.
5 Use Responsive Design To Improve Usability Of WordPress Website
Having a mobile-friendly site is necessary as the web community shifts to mobile devices. But, being a content management system, WP is not a mobile-friendly solution. So, if you want it to look and work great on all devices, you must install some plugins.
You can choose from many responsive WP themes to ensure that your site’s information is displayed correctly on all screen sizes top tips to help website usability.
6 Don’t Forget About SEO
When SEO is disregarded, websites usually fall short of customer expectations. Because every website is in pursuit of more search traffic and better conversions.
Many web designers view SEO as a necessary evil. This is due to the misperception that SEO is all about keyword stuffing and forced wording. The truth is, these are no longer considered valid SEO tactics. If done right, SEO can significantly enhance the visitors’ experience.
Good SEO and good design work together to create a great final product and a solid foundation.
Improve Usability Of WordPress Website Conclusion
The growing WP community provides many tools to help you make your website more usable and improve its function. Hopefully, these 6 tips will help you to optimize your WP website properly and enhance user engagement.
Don’t forget to update your WP theme, plugins, and installation regularly. Upgrading WP is essential for security. In addition, it makes sure that you have all the new features and bug fixes, thus contributing to your website functionality.
