Website usability: how does it affect sales?

Website usability - it's not just a buzzword, it's also a strategic tool for the growth of your business. Imagine that your website is a shop. If everything in it is convenient, the goods are in their places, and the cash register works without delays, customers are happy to return.

Website usability directly affects user experience (UX) and, consequently, conversion rates. If a visitor has difficulty finding the right product or placing an order, they will easily go to your competitors. Studies show that a user-friendly website can increase conversion rates by up to 200%! How to achieve such a result and not to lose users at the stage of acquaintance with your resource? Let's get to the bottom of it.

Navigation and Structure.

How often have you left a site simply because you couldn't find the section you wanted? Statistics say that 76% users appreciate sites with easy navigation. If your website is a digital treasure map, the route to those treasures should be as obvious as possible. Confusion in structure is a direct road to lost sales.

A simple structure includes the following key elements: clearly organised menus, clear category names, access to the main functions of the site without unnecessary clicks. Think of your website as a book: headings, subheadings, logical blocks of information help the reader to avoid confusion and quickly find what they are looking for.

Don't forget about mobile users. In 2025, mobile traffic accounts for more than half of all internet visits. If navigating on a smartphone is difficult or requires extra effort, most of your potential customers will leave for your competitors.

Examples of solutions:

• Set a fixed menu so the user doesn't have to scroll to the top of the page to navigate.
• Make sure the internal structure of the site is intuitive: sections and buttons are arranged as the user expects.
• Use the search boxwhich really helps you search: auto-tips and filters significantly increase the chances of finding information successfully.

The importance of user feedback.

Dialogue with customers is a key moment in building quality interaction. Users need to know that their opinion is important and that you are ready to hear their suggestions, complaints and even praise. Sometimes a simple "Your Feedback Accepted" badge can give a visitor a sense of satisfaction.

Feedback manifests itself in many forms:

• Online chats. For example, an automated bot can help a customer with the most common questions, and an operator will connect if necessary.
• Feedback and comment forms. It's not just a chance to improve UX, but also an opportunity to find insights about what users want.
• Error Messages. If something is not working on the site, let the user know that you are already working on solving the problem. No one likes silence in response to technical difficulties.

It is important to note that communication style plays a huge role. It's nothing complicated, you just need to add a little humanity to the system. For example, "We are already working on solving the problem, thank you for your patience!" sounds much warmer than the impersonal "Error 404".

Tools for usability analysis.

Want to understand how user-friendly your website is email us? There are many tools that can turn guesses into accurate data.

You'll get help:

• Google Analytics. Tracking time on page, bounce rate and user behaviour.
• Hotjar . Heatmaps show where users are most likely to click, and records of user sessions can help you understand which elements are causing difficulties.
• Pingdom Website Speed Test. Analysing page load time, which directly affects usability.
• Crazy Egg. An alternative for visualising visitors' actions on a website.

These tools provide a deep understanding of how your site performs from a UX perspective and allow you to quickly address weaknesses. Think about what's more important: attracting new users or retaining existing users? The answer is both.

Mistakes when improving usability.

Unfortunately, intentions to improve a website sometimes have the opposite effect. In the pursuit of perfection, owners often make the following mistakes:

• Overloading the page with elements. Yes, offers, promotions, colourful banners - these are important. But if there's too much of everything, it's hard for the user to focus on what's important.
• Ignoring testing. Always test changes before launching to a wide range of users.
• Insufficient attention to adaptation for mobile devices. Often the mobile version of the site is neglected, and after all, it is the one that generates a significant part of the traffic.

If your site is simple, user-friendly and pleasant to use, users will come back again and again. Remember that every mistake is a lesson, and every satisfied user is your best advertiser. Leave complexities in the past and make your resource as comfortable as possible for all visitors!