Usability should be a top concern when building any website. Not only does proper design, navigation, and information architecture lead to more conversions than an unorganized, convoluted mess, but paying keen attention to usability also delivers greater SEO-friendliness. Low conversion may be attributed to an array of variables and not just one single factor, but usability can often be at the root of the problem as user behavior is always changing. In addition to giving users and search engines what they want, proper usability will also encourage both parties to keep coming back to the site.
More users interacting with and even returning to your website increases the potential to generate leads. Usability helps users to feel comfortable on your website, which will encourage them to reach out to your dealership via online forms, chat, or phone numbers. To gain insights into potential improvements for your website, check out these dealer website usability tips.
1. Watch someone who is unfamiliar with your website navigate through the site. What is their impression? Do they have difficulty with navigation or functionality? Do they gravitate towards the tasks that you designate, such as contact forms?
2. Do not disregard ideas that were not included in the design of your current website. As user behavior online is always changing, your design will have to change over time as well. An old idea that was excluded at one point may be considered more appropriate or valuable at another point.
3. Never build a website without a site map. Site maps can easily be a low priority on any redesign. However, having a site map not only enables search engines to find all of your site’s pages, but believe it or not a site map is also used by users!
4. Countless website providers forget that the home page is not the only entrance point for users. This makes it crucial that all web pages have consistent navigation and give plenty of attention to providing valuable content to users while offering the opportunity to generate a lead. Don’t forget that inner pages have just as much potential to convert a lead if not more potential than the home page. Looking at this Torrance body shop a user can find the service-related services they’re likely looking for, but thanks to consistent navigation they can also easily find out what other services are available.
5. Don’t disable the ‘Back’ button. All too often, website providers think they’re being clever in hopes of encouraging conversions on a specific page. Unfortunately, this strategy doesn’t work and almost always infuriates users.
6. Arrange content properly. Since most users visiting your website read from left to right, it’s important to structure and arrange content in that same way. Keep important elements and content along the upper left portion of a page. Reserve the bottom right portion of a page for static graphics, text that has little importance, or other content that doesn’t provide significant value. For example, if a user enters a site via organic or paid search results to a page for used cars in Los Angeles, the page should have only used car content to satisfy the user’s needs. This simple strategy will help generate a lead.
7. Simple tactics can be employed to add emphasis. For example, bolding and using italics are great for accenting important parts of text. However, don’t go overboard warns one prominent Omaha website design company. If everything is in italics or bolded, then nothing stands out as being important. Colored text may also be considered, but restrict underlines to links only.
8. Website users like to scan text, not read it word for word. Knowing this, text should be easy to scan and include adequate spacing, brief headings, short paragraphs, and/or bullet points. For instance, New Jersey Hyundai uses dark text on a light background, but also includes several headings to break up a page of content about the dealership, helping to make the copy easily readable.
9. Pay attention to the contrast between text and your page’s background. Dark text on a light background always, always works well.
10. Don’t forget to optimize images. Images provide valuable onsite content and they can be optimized to load quickly and can be tagged with descriptive keywords that deliver SEO value.
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This post was written by...
David Lux – who has written 84 posts on Automotive SEO. David is the Content Manager at TK Carsites and spends copious hours devouring content concerning autos, SEO, and social media. You can follow him on Twitter: @autocontent
