No matter what sort of site you run, it needs to be usable. It’s possibly the one thing all different kinds of sites have in common. People need to use them. With that in mind, it pays to review your site for usability when you SEO.
Analysing site usability will generally form a part of the initial analysis for search engine optimisation. This is one of the areas in which consulting an SEO company can come in very handy, as their outside perspective and broad experience can help to spot potential problems more effectively. You can discuss this with our experts at SEO Consult Australia. When looking at your site from a usability perspective, there are three basic steps involved.
1. Define your target audience. Many businesses start from the wrong direction when it comes to their site design. They look at what they want to achieve, and build from that. When you consider that most of the activity a business hopes its site will see will come from internet users, this is a slightly strange way to start.
It’s important to begin your design with the people who are going to use it. Defining a target audience should be the first step in any marketing campaign. Most people know their target market before they begin their site’s SEO, but it always pays to have another look before you begin. Even being slightly off with your target audience can bring your entire search engine optimisation campaign down.
With target audiences, it’s vital to ask at least three questions: what are your target users looking for? What technologies are they using? What are they used to? The answers to these questions will tell you almost everything you need to know about the requirements for your site. This will help you discover the ideal information, style, technology and layout for your target user groups.
2. Find the paths needed for the site. Once you know what your target audience is looking for, you need to figure out how you’re going to provide it. Plotting out the paths through your site in this way may seem counter-productive, as it doesn’t focus on how you’re going to sell your products and services. In reality, starting from your customer’s perspective can help you sell more effectively. In figuring out how to give them what they want, you can plot out how to introduce your sales pitch to have the best effect.
3. Structure for logic. Another consideration when it comes to usability is the logical progression of topics. This is something that studying your target users won’t necessarily tell you, but your keyword research can. Your related keywords can help you determine how your pages flow.
One of the best ways to check the usability of your site is to have a friend who is unconnected with your business look at your site. The hiring of new staff is also a good time to review your site. Prepare a list of questions about particular areas you’re concerned about, to make the most of this opportunity.
