What Makes a Good Functional Website in 2022 ?

When it comes to having an efficient, functional website, there are three main attributes that need to be integrated:

fast, clean and user-based

This article takes a look at what makes a good, functional website in 2022 and how you can improve your web presence to meet modern consumer demands.

What is the functionality of a website?

Website functionality is basically how easily and effectively a user can find and then navigate your site in order to fulfil the requirements they have from it. It’s worth focusing on two main points of functionality, SEO and UX Design. 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) focuses on ensuring that customers can find your site through search engines like Google. By using an algorithm, these sites sift through the web looking for the most relevant answers to the users’ search.

User experience design (UXD) is centred around the experience a customer has when browsing or interacting on your website. A successful website will provide a positive user experience, which can be achieved through understanding your users, presentation and performance.

  

How can I improve my website?

To build a successful site, you have to consider how your users will find your site, how they will use it, and what they will do with it. Increasingly, mobile users expect websites to function on the go, making smartphone compatibility more important than ever. This has had a major effect on the latest website design trends and even the type of content provided on the web page. The following three categories provide key solutions on how to improve your website.

 

1. UX Design – appealing design for your users

• Your website needs to be mobile-friendly and have thumb-friendly navigation.

Most modern consumers want immediate answers to their online problems or needs and due to its immediacy and convenience, most shopping and searching is now done on mobile devices. Therefore, it is important to make a Mobile-Friendly website, which allows one-handed navigation. Modern websites must be optimized and laid out in a format that allows for easy scrolling with both right and left thumbs, in accordance with how your customers are likely to be using your site.

Mobile customers don’t want fiddly tabs and links to click on, it’s much easier to scroll with one hand than operate drop-down menus. This means that not only should your website be designed to encourage long scrolling, but your content should too.

• Your website must be accessible to as many people as possible.

A successful website should be designed to be used by as many people as possible. This includes those with disabilities, or who might require additional assistance online. 

Fortunately, there are a number of ways in which you can design your site to be universally accessible. This includes adding alt-tags and alt-text to your pictures, using bold form text, appropriate font size, being mindful of your colour choices when contrasting text with the background and having volume controls and captions. 

Not only will those customers appreciate your consideration, but search engines also highly value websites that meet these requirements. 

• Make it simple.

It’s important to remember that you are designing a website that will most likely be viewed on a small screen. Mobile device users are typically goal orientated and after a quick win and your site needs to be simple and streamlined to allow that to happen. 

No mobile user wants unnecessary pop-ups and promotions getting in the way of finding what they need, or endless niche options to browse through.  

Your design should be as simple as possible, with visible CTA (calls to action), short menus and easy access back to the homepage should they wish to start again.

2. SEO – help your potential customers to find your service and product to solve their problems

• Your website should have comprehensive security (HTTPS).

Having a secure, well-protected website is vital in safeguarding your customers and their information and is a prerequisite for high-ranking sites on search engines.

This is especially crucial on eCommerce websites, where customers will be inputting sensitive and fraud-appealing information such as credit card details. HTTPS provides a secure online experience when your customers shop or use online services.

Having suitable security gives your site online integrity and shows you care about your customers. HTTPS domains are a major signal to Google and other search sites that your webpage has certification and measures in place against hackers.

• Your site should be fast loading.

Slow-loading websites are a sure-fire way to lose customers, quickly.

Not only is site speed an enormous factor in user experience, but search engines also realize its value to online users. Research has proven a direct link between site speeds and conversation rates and it’s unsurprising that the slower your site is, the less likely a customer is to make a purchase on it. 

As mentioned, mobile usability is now the most important thing to a search engine algorithm and mobile customers expect sites to be responsive and fast. 

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to speed up your site, particularly by enlisting the help of a digital marketing agency. 

3. Voice Search SEO – how “hey” Siri, Alexa or Google can gain you favour with the ranking

• You should use natural language, long-tail text and include keywords.

Voice activation devices are growing in popularity and are becoming increasingly present in modern households. As a result, search engines also value how compatible your site is with these portals. The content on your website, therefore, needs to reflect what customers are likely to be asking for and how they are likely to ask for it. 

Using simple, everyday conversational words and phrases associated with your service will make it more likely that you match the words customers are using to search for you. 

Long-tail content, as previously mentioned with mobile-scrolling UX, is also great for capturing as many of the triggers customers are likely to use as possible. 

Understanding and utilizing the keywords and questions associated with your service is also crucial to SEO and helping customers find you, particularly on voice-activated devices and something that a reputable digital marketing agency can assist with.    

• Give a concise answer.

Voice searches are typically used for simple search requests or to act as a gateway into more considered online browsing. Subsequently, your website should be able to give a concise description of your service and simple answers to any questions customers may have surrounding your field. 

Having a clear and succinct dialogue system makes it more likely that the virtual assistant will provide a suitable answer, as these typically run on to-the-point prompts. 

Using filler words such as “I, the, on, to” in your content, alongside question keywords “4W1H: Who, What, Where, Why, How” reflect conversational terms that customers and search engines are likely to use.

Summary

 

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