Friendly Interface for Your Website. Part 1.
The interface is a certain "bridge" between the user and the system. By means of the interface the user will be able to explain to the system what he or she wants from it, and the system will do that. What happens if this understanding between the system and the person isn't reached? The user will just leave the website.
According to Online Marketing Institute behave of Internet users is so:
85% can leave the website if they don't like design of the interface;
83% will leave the website if they are forced to do many clicks to find information that is necessary for them;
40% will never return on the website if it was difficult for them to use it for the first time.
To be intuitively clear.
The website interface is what has to be clear to the majority of people. If the person, having opened the application or having visited the website, won't understand how to use it, then after pressing several seconds on different buttons at random, will be disappointed and leave a resource and most probably, forever.
Intuitively clear interface of the website is an interface in which all elements are built by the principles of elementary logic.
We will take for an example the website with text content (articles). It’s logical interface will be as so:
the name of the website is on the top of the page, under it there is a short description of the resource;
below is the menu with sections of the website;
the block with contacts and feedback is on the right top part of the menu;
articles are located in order as they have been added to the website;
at the end of each article there are buttons "following" and "previous";
buttons of categories always have to be visible so it is possible to pass into other section at any time;
rules of the website, detailed contact information, data on developers, etc. are in a website footer as exactly there they are always looked for.
The website interface is what has to be clear to the majority of people.
Don't confuse the user by non-standard arrangement of standard blocks, and use the checked principles.
Even where badges are not signed, it should be quite clear what they can mean. The logic of an arrangement of buttons should be clear to everyone intuitively, e.g. the “stop” button has to follow after the “pause” button, etc.
Clear designations are assigned to the buttons.
Avoid buttons on which image can mislead the user. It isn't necessary to invent the bicycle. The big question mark says to the user that, a manual or the help is behind him. The magnifying glass is always a search form on the website.
And what will you think about, having seen on the website or in the program the button, for example, with the crossed-out square? Most likely, many users won't even risk to press it as for them it will be unclear what this action is lead to.
And for even better understanding for users of the actions, it is possible to use captions to buttons. They appear at guidance of the cursor.
The Impressive Site Menu application allow you to choose convenient badges for each page of the menu of your website. Place a badge near the page to emphasize about what it is, for example, a note badge near the page with music and video clips.
There is a help to the user if he or she "has got lost".
If the user has got on page 404, at once on it give him or her the short instruction about what can be done further. For example, suggest to return to the previous section and to look for the necessary information there.
Another situation — you have an online shop. At the wrong input of parameters of goods, the user sees the message with a mistake. Write right there what can be done to describe goods correctly. If the necessary goods are not on stock in a warehouse — write about how the user can receive the notice of emergence of these goods.
We will continue a cycle of the training articles how to create the users’ friendly interface. Monitor updates and develop the websites together with WIX and Light-Tech!
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