Website barriers are obstacles that prevent visitors from finding content, performing actions, or feeling comfortable on a website. They often lead to high bounce rates, missed conversions, and a poor user experience.
Typical Website Barriers
- Complex Navigation: Cluttered menus, missing hierarchy, or confusing links.
- Slow Loading Times: Delays in loading discourage users.
- Lack of Accessibility: Poor adaptation for screen readers, small font sizes, or unclear contrasts.
- Unclear Call-to-Actions: Users don’t know what steps to take next.
- Excessive Ads or Pop-ups: Disrupt the reading flow and make navigation difficult.
- Poor Responsive Design: Content doesn’t display correctly on mobile devices.
How to Identify Barriers
- Use heatmaps and click tracking analysis
- Implement user surveys and feedback forms
- Conduct usability tests
- Use performance tools to check loading times
- Use accessibility checkers (e.g., WAVE or aXe)
Actions to Eliminate Barriers
- Structure navigation clearly and logically
- Optimize page speed (compress images, use cache, implement a CDN)
- Ensure responsive design and mobile optimization
- Follow WCAG guidelines for accessibility
- Use ads sparingly and avoid intrusive pop-ups
- Make call-to-actions clear and visually stand out
- Choose font sizes and contrasts that ensure good readability
Conclusion
Eliminating website barriers is crucial for a positive user experience, longer time spent on site, and higher conversion rates. At aurelix, I combine UX analysis, user feedback, and technical optimization to identify and eliminate barriers effectively.
Further Resources
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