The user experience (UX) is critical for attracting visitors to a website and keeping their interest once they’re there. Using responsive web design as a framework, this article goes over the basics of what makes for a strong UX. Responsive web design is an approach that prioritizes creating websites that perform well across multiple viewing platforms, as explained by Annie Pilon on Small Biz Trends. It is particularly important for engaging mobile users, who are highly likely to abandon cramped or slow-loading pages.
Budget the Page’s Performance
A helpful approach is to set a budget for each page’s performance. This may sound like an odd concept at first, but think of it in these terms: If an element you want to add will take a page past a certain size threshold or slow it down to an unacceptably low speed, you’ll either need to abandon that element or remove something else. This will help each page maintain optimal performance—and help you focus on the truly important elements.
Optimize the Images
Oversized images can pose two problems: They can crowd out other elements on a page, and they can slow down a page’s loading speed. Make sure your images are both well-proportioned visually and aren’t larger than they need to be in terms of file size. (To make an image file smaller, try downsizing the file format; for example, PNG files are typically larger than JPEG files. You can also use a file compression tool, as pointed out by Mozilla.)
Shave Off Unnecessary Elements
Many pages have elements that they can do without. For example, there’s likely no point in having multiple newsletter signup links on a single page, especially if one is vastly outperforming the other. Analyze each page and see what you can remove.
Choose a Great Host
Web hosts play a huge role in how well each page performs. Do some research to find one that offers a strong mix of speed, security, and support. It will be well worth your while to investigate multiple options.
