Depending on the type of Web site, these goals differ from one another. For example, it is important for a company in the travel industry that users can easily book a vacation, while it is important for a bank to be able to easily transfer money online.

Why usability matters

Having a user-friendly website is becoming increasingly important. Not only does it bring in more regular customers, it actually helps bring in new ones. You can read more about this in our whitepaper.

An unfriendly website makes users leave the website before they have reached their goals. Unfortunately, this is still too often the case. Recent research by Statistics Netherlands shows that more than half of all Dutch people have problems making online purchases.

Measuring usability

For many people, usability seems elusive and subjective. Too often still, it is driven by someone's personal opinion as to whether or not something is user-friendly.

Fortunately, there are several research methods available to objectively determine usability. These include carrying out UX research, for example using user testing, conducting interviews or having the target audience fill out a questionnaire.

Apart from the above methods, you can use a number of usability metrics to determine how user-friendly the website is. Examples include the System Usability Scale, Single Ease Question or the Net Promoter Score.

Website usability testing and usability research

Ultimately, there is only one way to find out how user-friendly your website currently is: through testing. By performing user tests, you can find out what users are up against and how to improve usability. Curious what kind of feedback is given in user tests? Download our UX Research Report.

25 tips for creating a user-friendly website

Tip 1: Focus on navigation
Nothing is more irritating than not being able to find information when you are sure it is there. Make sure the menu structure of your website is logical and that there is a well-functioning search function.

Wondering how to best organise your navigation structure? Then you can use Card Sorting where you ask users to arrange the page in a way that makes most sense to them.

Tip 2: Use a clear and readable font
Use a font that is easy to read for everyone. Avoid strongly contrasting fonts and make sure there is sufficient contrast between the colour of the font and the website background. Besides the colour, also consider the size of the font. One of the biggest frustrations in usability research is when testers cannot read the text properly.

Tip 3: Spend time on the colour scheme
Make sure the house style of your website fits the industry you operate in. And make sure there is enough colour contrast between the background and the text so that older people and people with eye problems can also understand what the website says.

Tip 4: Make your website responsive
Make sure your website automatically scales with the user's screen size. This prevents information or images from falling out of view.

Tip 5: Ensure fast loading time
Make sure users can easily and quickly click through the website. A user-friendly website has a fast loading time. Curious about your website's load time? Then do a test with Google Pagespeed.

Tip 6: High-quality images
Users are visually oriented. Adding high-quality images can make or break the design of a website. Pro tip: pay attention to the file size of the image. The larger the file, the longer the website load time and the poorer the usability.

Tip 7: Optimise search functionality
One of the biggest annoyances of testers when doing a usability test for a website is when the search functionality does not work properly. We have heard testers say several times that usability hinges on being able to search properly.

Tip 8: Work with categories and tags
Make sure the website is well organised by working with categories and tags, so users know where they are on the website.

Tip 9: Focus on accessibility
Make sure the website is usable by people with different backgrounds and disabilities. This is a legal requirement these days. More information on accessibility can be found on the central government website. Note: an accessible website is not necessarily user-friendly - it is therefore also advisable to conduct user tests with people with disabilities to determine whether the website is really accessible.

Tip 10: Spend time on content
Clear and concise language ensures that users know where they stand. This removes doubt or uncertainty and improves the user-friendliness of your website.

Tip 11: Contact details and support
Make it easy for users to contact you with questions. Think for instance of a chat, an overview of frequently asked questions and clear contact details on the contact page.

Tip 12: Informative page titles
Titles stand out the most. Make sure they are clear so users know where they stand and can quickly find the most important information.

Tip 13: Use headings and sub-headings
As in this article, a user-friendly website works with different types of headings. This helps users scan the page and find the information they are looking for.

Tip 14: Most important information at the top
Avoid making users search for information for a long time and place the most important information at the top or work with anchor links so they can quickly navigate to the most important information.

Tip 15: Be consistent
Use a consistent design throughout the website. - A consistent design creates a uniform look and feel throughout the website and makes it easier for users to navigate.

Tip 16: Use universal icons
There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Indeed, using universal icons builds trust and makes users more comfortable with the website or app. So make sure the icons you use are easy to recognise and always have the same functionality.

Tip 17: Spend time on navigation menus
Make sure you test different navigation menus on both mobile and desktop. The most user-friendly websites perform multiple tests to get the navigation right.

Tip 18: Work with white spaces
White space makes content easier to read and helps users understand your website content better. It also reduces the amount of time users have to search, making your website more user-friendly.

Tip 19: Use bread crumbs
Bread crumbs help users know where they are on your website and navigate your website more easily.

Tip 20: Provide users with a clear path to conversion.
Use images, buttons and clear text to make it clear what the next steps are.

Tip 21: Work with call-to-action buttons
Calls-to-action help users know what to do and what is expected of them when navigating your website.

Tip 22: Test your website on different devices
Too often we still see websites designed only for desktop, while the majority of traffic comes from mobile devices.

Tip 23: Spend time on error messages
Although they are unavoidable, you want to avoid error messages as often as possible. Nobody likes being reminded that he/she has done something wrong. Do show an error message? Make sure you clearly explain what went wrong and how to do it. It is more user-friendly!

Tip 24: Save half completed forms
There are few things more annoying than a website that does not save previously filled-in form fields. Therefore, avoid making your users fill in information twice and provide flexibility with regard to form fields.

Tip 25: Flexible validation
Do you validate data on your website? Then make sure they are built flexibly and can work with different types of input. For example, consider entering a phone number: don't just allow '+316' here, but do the same for 06.

Bonus tip: Test the usability of your website
Ultimately, there is only one way to determine how user-friendly your website is, and that is by testing it with real users. For example, in the form of user testing.