Web usability is about website design that makes its easy for your users to find what they are looking for easily and efficiently. A usable website design can increase the time spent by each customer on your website and improve your chances of making a sale or generating a lead.

Uniformity an inherit part of a usable web site design

Users have gradually become accustomed to a particular layout for a web site design. Some of it is:

1. Organisation logo in the top left with logo linking back to the home page
2. About us used for organizational information
3. Navigation bar at the same place on each page
4. Anything flashing and places above your logo is probably an advertisement
5. Information like Privacy policy and terms of use in the footer

There are many other unwritten conventions that people have started to expect. It is important that Web Site Designers understand the importance of these conventions in a web design as we are fast becoming used to things in a particular way on the internet.

Size does matter

It is important that your website loads quickly. An average user will not wait for more than 6-7 seconds for a page to download.

Some aspects you may want to consider are:

1. Use CSS to layout your web page.
2. Use CSS to create navigation
3. Use Web optimized graphics

Don't hide the information

Make sure that it is easy to find information on your website. A good web site designer will always develop a web site design that makes it easier for people with all sorts of interests to find information. Your web site design should cater for people who need just brief information and also for people who want to find as much as possible for your product and services.

Navigation as important as content

As a Web site developer, I understand the important of web site navigation in any web site design. Make sure that your navigation makes it easier for people to find information on your web site. There is no point in having a lot of content on your website if no body is going to find it. Make sure that no information is more than three clicks away.

These are only a few points you should consider when developing a good web site design. It is always a good idea to should your website to your family and friends with different Internet skill levels and find out how easy or difficult it is for them to find the information on your website.

More useful articles are available on the Sigma Infotech website