Frustration free websites… are they a thing?
Anne Castles
How many times have you visited a website that frustrates you within seconds? I know I have had plenty of these experiences myself. Recently I’ve had to learn a new online ordering system for my kids’ school lunches. You would think that online ordering would be more convenient, however by the time I was finished I was wanting them to bring back the old way – a handwritten order on a paper bag containing cash.
The fact is, not everything that’s online works well. While businesses seem to be migrating online for the sake of ease and convenience, unless websites are well built, they can end up alienating the very clients and customers they were created for. Ultimately, you want a website that makes your business more appealing, not one that turns people off in seconds.
Here are some of the most frustrating features on the web today, and what can be done to avoid them
Slow loading website
When it comes to the web, people expect things to move quickly. Gone are the days of dial up internet, where you would sit patiently waiting for an image to load because there was no other option. These days, images and videos can and should be optimised to load fast.
Some ways a clever developer could do this are:
- Only include Javascript that you are going to use. Every Javascript file adds download time + execution time and they can all impact on loading speed
- Optimise CSS selectors
- Use the right image format and optimise images – see our article on using the right image format
- Lazy load images and videos
Poor Accessibility
People visiting your website may have different accessibility needs. Without taking into account additional needs, you may be leaving a portion of your clientele frustrated because they can’t access the information or resources they need.
- Accessibility involves a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities (https://www.w3.org/TR/2023/REC-WCAG21-20230921/).
- There are many ways to make your website more accessible to people living with these disabilities. Visit https://www.w3.org/WAI/ to find more information on website accessibility
Only works in one browser
Browsers have different rendering engines. Chrome and Edge use the same one, Safari and Firefox each have their own. Each can behave differently, and one browser might have an issue that doesn’t show up in others.
- It is important to remember that browsers don’t always support the same features. Testing a site across multiple browsers can help identify issues with your site’s code. The best place to check compatibility is https://caniuse.com
- As of February 2024, Chrome carried over 60% of market share when it comes to browser usage, with Safari carrying just over 20% and Edge just under 6%. A good developer will write code that takes browser features and differences into account to ensure an optimal experience on any platform.
Button Size
Buttons that are too small generate frustration. People shouldn’t need to zoom in to hit a button on your website.
- Apple Human Interface Guidelines recommend buttons (or tap areas) are no smaller than 44px x 44px
- Google recommend 48x48dp
- Developers can code a site to adjust the button size depending on the screen being used to view it.
Poor Navigation Structure
Ideally, you want visitors to your website to be intuitively able to find what they are looking for. However, it’s important to remember that your level of intuition may not be the same as theirs.
Some points of frustration in a poor navigation structure can be:
- Links that just keep looping you back to where you came from
- An incomplete menu, where the only way to find a page is by searching
- Duplicate menu items that do the same thing
- Broken links
Not Optimised for Mobile
Whether being viewed on a mobile phone or a desktop computer, a good website will adjust it’s layout to suit the screen size. If you are viewing this on a computer screen right now, trying playing around with the size of your browser window and you’ll see what I mean. When a site isn’t optimised for mobile, it will leave users with no option but to zoom in and scroll from side to side, becoming increasingly frustrated while trying to find the information they are after.
- Remember that phone screen sizes vary. Tablet screen sizes vary. Desktop screen sizes vary. Make sure your page layout works at any resolution, not just specific resolutions.
- It’s important to think about your audience. Are they more likely to visit you on mobile or desktop first?
Popups & Cookie Banners
It can be frustrating when visiting a site for the first (or second or third) time and before you can even navigate through the site you are immediately hit with a popup window asking you to sign in or subscribe. It can be even more frustrating if the button to close this popup is hard to find. If this is something you want to do, make sure the popup close button is clearly visible and not difficult to use (i.e. use the appropriate button size).
- Cookie banners may be a legal requirement in your country. If they are not, have you considered not actually tracking users at all? If you don’t track then you don’t have ask the users permission. Having a banner pop up can be off-putting to visitors.
Stock Images
Authenticity is key when generating trust on the web. If you can’t show an image that truly represents who you are, sometimes it can be better to not show one at all.
Websites don’t need to be built badly. They don’t need to break, they don’t need to take forever to load, and they don’t need to be hard to use. In fact, they can be quite the opposite. Rather than having frustrated customers and staff, your online systems can make your products and services more accessible to those you want using them, and bring greater convenience to the way you do business.
At the end of the day, it’s not even about how much you spend. It’s about finding a developer who understands what you want, and who is equipped to bring you the best result for your budget.
We would love to discuss your online ideas to see how we can bring them to life.