How to Boost Usability of a WordPress Website- Tips & Tricks

The main reason why WordPress is currently managing about 28 percent of all content on the Internet is due to the fact that it has an incredibly beginner-friendly learning curve. This is mostly due to the fact that it allows you to design a website without having to actively learn how to code. However, learning how to use the basics and knowing how to get the most out of your WordPress website’s potential is not the one and the same thing. With this in mind and without further ado, here are a couple of tips you might find particularly useful.

1. Lightweight theme for ultimate responsiveness

The first thing you need to put your mind to when designing a website is its responsiveness. Broad online audiences expect your website to load within two seconds and get seriously frustrated when it fails to do so. According to one survey, it takes only 4 seconds of non-responsiveness in order for your website to lose about one-quarter of all its visitors. In order to avoid this happening, you need to look for a lightweight WordPress theme. Recognizing it is quite easy since it has to A) appear minimalistic, B) be HTML code optimized and C) have a small size of the theme files. While there are some exceptions to these three rules, they usually hold true.

2. Eliminate unnecessary plugins

While each plugin you use may add a new function to your website, install too many and you will see a significant decline in your website’s functionality. Due to the fact that each of them requires an additional HTTP request, this will slow down your website’s load time and in this way cause a problem discussed in the previous section. Furthermore, more plugins require more maintenance, which is yet another reason why you should prioritize when it comes to your website’s third-party software selection.

3. Find the right host

The next thing you need to keep in mind is that not everything is up to you. Finding a host who can’t deliver on their promise of speed and uptime can land a devastating blow to a struggling young enterprise. Therefore, you need to keep both your eyes open when looking for the right cPanel hosting option. As for the other features you need to focus on, the uptime (at least 99.99 percent of the time), decent monthly traffic (at least 50 GB) and 24/7 web support are a bare minimum.

4. Keep it simple

Throughout this article, we argued just how important it is to keep your website fast and functional. However, keeping its design simple gives you a boost to the overall CX (customer experience), as well. For instance, a more intuitive navigation means that your audience will have an easier time finding their way around your domain, however, it also means that your website might get indexed sooner.

Additionally, a simple check out system means a significantly lower shopping cart abandonment rate (provided that you have an e-commerce website). Finally, a transparent CTA (call-to-action) button could lead to a lower bounce rate, not to mention that more whitespace also boosts the readability of your content by quite a bit. All of these perks boost your SEO rank and your overall standing in the digital environment.

5. Image optimization

At the end of the day, in order to make your content more appealing, you need to add the right images to it. Since the human brain registers about 90 percent of all information it receives visually, the choice of an adequate image is more than important. However, what matters the most is that the image is well-optimized for your website, especially today, where people are likely to access it through various devices. As for the way in which to go about this, the choice is yours. Some decide to do so manually, while others prefer turning to plugins and completely automating this process.

At the end of the day, sometimes, in order to get more out of your website, you need to add less. Still, going with the minimalist approach doesn’t mean that you should leave your website virtually empty. There is a fine line between creating a beautiful minimalist web design and displaying a lack of care for your website’s appearance. Needless to say, while you should favor functionality above the aesthetics, you can’t afford to neglect the looks either. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t; yet in the world of web design, these are some of the choices you will just have to learn how to live with.

Author Bio:

My name is Raul and I am editor in chief at Technivorz blog. I have a lot to say about innovations in all aspects of digital technology and online marketing. Please take a minute to connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

 

 

Share your thoughts on this post in the comments section below!