by: Jessica Davis

Having a website that is aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly is a major component in having happy customers. However, so many companies make the mistake of assuming it is the responsibility of their visitors to “get it” when it comes to their websites. When in fact, it is the responsibility of the company to ensure a quality web experience for all visitors to their website.

Its easy for companies of all sizes to fall into any number of the “usability” pitfalls. However, ignoring issues such as terrible navigation, mis-labeled pages, unclear content, non-functioning features and misspellings and grammar errors can be one of the biggest mistakes a company could make online. If a visitor does not have a positive experience on your website, the odds are they will not become a customer.

Another major mistake made by companies is to assume that user error comes with the territory of having a website. If a feature on your website is difficult for visitors to understand and you notice an increase in the misuse of this feature, the problem does not lie with the visitors, it lies with you. As stated above, it is not the responsibility of the visitor to “get it” when it comes to your website. Instead, it is your responsibility to ensure a positive website experience for all visitors. Therefore, even though the feature is “easy to use” for the in-house testers, you will never really know how user-friendly it is unless you test it in a real world situation. In addition, you must be willing to make the necessary changes in order to make a user-friendly feature.

According to the Usability and Performance Improvement Statistics Report, produced by Info.Design Inc., IBM reported that, “sales went up 400 percent with an easier to navigate site”. In addition to increased sales, it is possible for visitor satisfaction to increase as well. Your website is your responsibility and it speaks volumes to the type of company you are. Offer crap to visitors and the likelihood they will become customers is close to none.