How to achieve simplicity on your website.

“Simplicity is the most difficult thing to secure in this world; it is the last limit of experience and the last effort of genius.” George Sand

While you may be overly excited about having a website, you may miss this one key thing that makes all the difference. SIMPLICITY! Simplicity is relevant and could have a different meaning. While perfection is overrated; I believe the simpler your website is, the easier it is to use. User-friendly websites are as an attempt to achieve simplicity.
How then can you achieve simplicity and beat your competitors to the top of your list? I’ve got five tips for you!
4. Make life easier for users.
Users visit your website because there’s something useful to them, right? In this case, they have a goal. Maybe shop for a product, contact you, download content, read through e.t.c. It becomes too frustrating when they can’t reach the goal. Example, if clients can download items from your website, make the process very simple. Don’t put too many procedures before the download, signing up for an account is also okay, but ensure the details required are not too many. Ensure all links open to a new tab to reduce the overuse of the “back” button in case the client wants to access information from the previous page.
3. declutter information from your website.
What is your website’s goal? Answer this question and use the answer to remove unnecessary information from your website. Avoid too many paragraphs and ensure relevant information tops. Example, if your main goal is to sell, ensure payment details are easily accessible. Clients might not have time to try and decipher a complicated checkout system or look for payment details. Decluttering will reduce indecision and hesitation as well as eliminates confusion.
2. Automation.
Automation has been part of human inventions and explains much of the habits we have adopted. The human brain, more often than not, uses the least amount of cognitive effort. How many times in an hour do you act unconsciously? According to cognitive neuroscientists, we are conscious of only about 5% of our cognitive activity, so most of our decisions, actions, emotions, and behaviour depends on the 95 % of brain activity that goes beyond our conscious awareness (As published by Coming of Age). For this reason, automation is a goldmine to every website owner. Again, refer to our earlier question, “What is your website’s goal?” and find out what processes you can automate to help your client reach the goal.
1. Don’t be the Deadpool guy.
Have you watched Deadpool? It’s okay if super-hero action is not your kind of zest. Well, Deadpool (Wade Wilson) is a talkative mercenary for hire known as the “Merc with a Mouth”. Despite his sense of humour, Deadpool’s character revolves around being talkative and easily distracted. Do your users understand what you are trying to help them achieve? Do users understand the message you are trying to convey? Find a way to bring to attention the most essential and most helpful information to your users.
The above will nudge you towards achieving simplicity. As Stephane Rolland puts it, “I continue to be drawn to clarity and simplicity. ‘Less is more’ remains my mantra.” To achieve perfection, you must first achieve simplicity. Here’s our little assignment; Audit and declutter your website and share with us how that helps it to be user-friendly.