Structuring Your Website for Performance

When we talk about a website's performance, most people start the discussion by referring to analytics tracking. However, your website's performance starts with how it is built, both from a content perspective as well as its visual design. Both of these factors play a major role in how users will engage your website to find the information they need, and potentially become a customer or client. You need a website that is structured in a way that allow it to be usable and intuitive to meet the needs of both you as a business owner and the needs of your visitors as digital consumers.

The Role of Content in Website Performance

The written content of your website determines the pathway users will take to find the information they need on your website. Section headings, form input labels, and proper sequential order all play a part in how users will engage with and navigate your website.

A good best practice is to minimize long bodies of text, and instead use shorter paragraphs to make content easily digestible for users. Bulleted and numbered lists help users scan your content and easily navigate to the specific topics they are searching for, while shorter paragraphs prevent your users from being overwhelmed with the task of having to scour though large blocks of text to find what they are looking for. No one wants to be burdened with the task of an arduous search, so including proper text headings which are relevant to the topic of your content will guide users to the areas you want them to focus on within your website, creating a more navigable and easy to use experience.

Properly structuring your website content is also beneficial for making your website accessible for users with disabilities. Relevant page headings and section titles, allows users with physical or visual impairments to navigate your website using assistive technologies such as screen readers and, though it is not well known, in many cases, meeting accessibility requirements is required by law. we will touch on this topic later in this article.

The Role of Visual Design in Website Performance

After your content, one of the most important factors in the user experience of your website is its visual design, how it appears to your users. The visual design of your website will dictate what actions users take when they arrive on your website. The placement of buttons and images in relation to the written content on your site will determine its ease of use and the order in which users engage with the content on your website. A good best practice if to use images that are relevant to your specific topic that are high resolution, or at least crisp enough to be displayed at larger sizes. Although I usually recommend a professional photographer for the photos on your website, I also understand that this may not fit into every budget. For these situations, the high resolution quality of most modern cell phones will provide adequate pixel resolution to be used, but you will need to check with your designer to ensure this is true for the photos you provide.

The visual design of your website will establish a consistent theme in the eyes of your users for your website, and create a sense of familiarity with your brand based on the color palette, imagery, shapes, and patterns that you use. Consistency of visual elements such as buttons, pattens, colors, shapes, and navigation will help users navigate your website easily, and create an enjoyable and memorable experience for all of your users.

As for images, an important point to remember is to never use photos taken directly from Google search results. This can be a risky and expensive mistake for new website owners. Using an image from a Google search result can result in legal consequences should the original photographer claim ownership of the photo you use on your website without their permission. for these cases, it is best to consult with your designer for an alternative photo source that has photos available for commercial use or purchase.

CTAs, Buttons, and Engagement with Your Website

The visual appearance of buttons and calls to action on your website are important for a different reason than the imagery and color palettes you select. The consistent visual appearance of the buttons and key elements on your website help users identify specific interaction points which guide them towards the goal of completing their intended task. The color of a primary button used consistently throughout a website familiarizes users with the specific way they can use to perform an action on your website, such as navigating to a new page, or submitting a form to request information. It is important that users can easily familiarize themselves with and recognize any elements on your website that are directly connected to them accomplishing their desired task to maximize your website's performance and user conversions.

Making Your Website Accessible for All Users

I want to take a moment to talk about a rarely discussed area of website design - website accessibility. Website Accessibility is the inclusive practice of making sure your website's content is accessible and usable to all users, even those who may have physical or situational disabilities. In order to make sure a website is accessible, content creators should reference the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, a uniformly accepted set of usability criteria that qualify a website as accessible. I cover this topic in greater detail in the article "How to Make Your Website Accessible for All Users".

Conclusion - Performance Beyond Analytics

The performance of your website starts long before its release to the public. To maximize the results of your website, you'll need to ensure that your content structure, visual design, and accessibility enhancements align with the goals of your business, and simultaneously meet the needs of your user by providing the content they are searching for in the manner that they need it. Most importantly, website owners must keep in mind that your website will be an ongoing project that will occasionally need to be tweaked or modified to match the changing behaviors of your users. Keeping your website content structure and visual design up to date is key to maintaining engagement with your users and providing an effective and usable web presence online .