No matter how you slice it, a website is completely worthless without a satisfactory customer experience. Think about it this way: when you use public transportation, it tends to get you where you’re going. However, don’t you hate it when the buses are late; when the train has maintenance problems; or when the person next to you are eating an egg salad? What we’re getting at here, is that it’s largely the small things that wreck an experience and that includes one based on the Internet! So how is a discerning web developer to avoid a lemon of a website? The short answer:

By following these simple tips and suggestions.

This won’t work miracles, but if your customers are sending lengthy, complaint filled emails, it’s at least a decent place to start.

  1. Work on Flow: First and foremost, have you thought about the flow of your website? What we mean is, have you given any consideration to the way your viewers work through the material, or to how their eye tracks across the screen? If not, you really ought to do so. Think about what the customer sees first, and then try to direct them from that point to the next area of interest. Guide them through your Web content, that way they feel lead, rather than abandoned at your home screen.
  2. Organization: The same principle goes for organization. Have you given consideration to exactly where your Web elements are placed, as well as why? Don’t just cram bits under the rug and hope it all works out! Decide why you’ve put a piece where it is, and then justify your reasoning. A constructive, productive, and properly designed website will always come with validation, and if you find yourself stretching for a taxonomical excuse, you’re likely putting an element in the wrong box.
  3. Read Easy: Lastly, have you arranged the copy and text of your site so that it’s pleasant—not just easy to read? If your customers are constantly straining to see what you’ve written, they will not be pleased with the overall experience. Not only that, but it may look as if you’re attempting to cloud the subject! Be comprehensive, readable and above all, pleasant. Your customers should not have to think about reading, and it’s up to you to ensure that they don’t.