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Recommendations for Improving Usability of the Website
by Alexander O. (www.webskyguide.com)
Do not make the user think!
This is the main principle of usability and web-design.
From the first look at the page the user must understand what it is and how to use it. The appearance of separate elements and the whole page, bright headings and
short but well made text - all these should provide for the user's instant comprehension.
Design and encoding of the website
The more simple and available it is, the better it is. The code of the website pages should be easily "read" by searching system spiders, and encoding should look the
same in different browsers. Do not overload the pages with excess animation. If possible, avoid heavy flash animation. Choice and use of programming languages should
be based on relevance and readability for searching servers.
The Structure
The most important rule is that the user should be able to access any page of the website in three clicks. Deep tree structure of the website with four or more levels,
significantly decreases the website's usability. This is also important for searching systems. Their "spiders" (special software that go to the website links and add the
pages found in the database of the system) may not find pages deeper than the main page.
The main page of the website
Purpose and meaning of the website
From the first glance, the user should understand what the website is and what it is for.
Search
The website should have an easily seen search bar.
Regular updating
Regular updating of the main page attracts regular visitors.
General
The main page of the website should clearly advise the user how he or she can receive the information needed. In addition, it should inform the user that there are
many other interesting things on the website. Often, the main page is the only opportunity to impress visitors.
Arrangement of web-texts
The length of the line, contrast of text and background color, correspondence of the text and empty space on the page, font size, and, finally, the interaction of all
the factors mentioned, influence the usability of websites.
Below is the list of important aspects of readability and usability of web-texts.
Aligning
Left side text aligning increases reading speed, as an even left side helps find the beginning of a new line.
Length of the line
A human eye can focus on 7.5 cm of the text line in one moment. Because of this, optimal length of the line is considered to be 9-10 words. This length increases the
speed of reading and facilitates comprehension of the material.
Font
Only one font should be used for the whole website. If you use more than two fonts on the page, it might resemble a page made-up of newspaper headlines and distract
the users from the context. It is better to use sans serif fonts since clear lines of sans serif fonts are better for monitors with smaller resolution.
Italics
If possible, avoid using italics, especially for small texts - the problems associated with clear reflection of italics on monitors has not been solved yet.
Capital Letters
Do not type the main text using caps lock, and, moreover, it is better not to use it for headings. Capital letters are almost of equal size and are more difficult
to read.
Readability of the text increases when using capital letters only as initial letters in each word of the heading.
Literacy
Write grammatically correct sentences and use appropriate vocabulary. Check the spelling and literacy of the website texts.
Size of the text
Remember, Internet users do not read the website pages, they browse them. Therefore, your task is to enclose the maximum amount of information in the minimum amount
of text. In addition, remember to use keywords, format the text, and emphasize headings and important concepts. You should know how to "catch" the reader's eyes.
If your text is a number of words, without paragraphs, highlighting, shifts, etc., it is likely that the user will leave your website quickly. He or she can read long
texts in newspapers or books, and has come to the Internet for interactivity - give it to him or her!
Contrast
The colors of the text and background should be contrasting, otherwise readability decreases.
Highlighting of the links
The links should be underlined. The user should clearly differentiate the links from other elements of the page.
General arrangement of the text
The text should be designed for browsing and for easy searching of information. Create a lot of headlines, place more important ideas in the beginning of the paragraph,
and use marked lists instead of numerous paragraphs of text where necessary.
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