12 user experience guidelines for websites

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You might have heard the term user experience (or UX) thrown around when people talk about websites — but what does it actually mean? And more importantly, why should you care about it for your business website?

Let’s break it down in plain English.

What is User Experience?

User experience is how someone feels when they visit and use your website. Is it easy for them to find what they need? Is it simple to navigate? Does the site load quickly? All of these things — and more — shape the experience your visitors have.

A good user experience makes your site easy, enjoyable, and useful. A poor user experience frustrates people and often drives them to leave — and when they leave, they probably aren’t coming back.

To help you improve your site’s UX, here are 12 straightforward guidelines you can follow. Whether you’re working with a web designer or managing your own site, these tips will help you think like your visitors and create a website that works for them — and for you.

1. Use Plenty of White Space

Have you ever opened a website and felt instantly overwhelmed by a wall of text, jam-packed images, or cluttered design? That’s a sign of poor spacing.

White space (also called negative space) is the empty space between sections, text, images, and buttons. It gives the content room to breathe and makes everything easier to read and understand.

Think of it like paragraphs in a book — without them, you’d struggle to follow along. On a website, spacing helps visitors focus and navigate smoothly.

2. Keep It Simple

Simple websites are almost always better. Visitors don’t want to work hard to figure out how to use your site.

The goal is to make things clear and easy. Avoid overloading pages with too much information, too many buttons, or fancy features that just confuse people. A clean, simple design makes your site feel professional and helps visitors find what they need fast.

3. Use Clear Calls to Action (CTA)

A call to action tells visitors what you want them to do next — like Book an Appointment, Request a Quote, or Shop Now.

Don’t assume people will just figure it out. Make your CTA buttons big, clear, and easy to find, so there’s no confusion about the next step.

If your website has a clear goal, your visitors should be able to see it at a glance.

4. Be Consistent

Consistency makes your website easier to use. If your navigation menu is at the top of the homepage, it should be in the same place on every page.

The same goes for fonts, colors, and layouts. A consistent design feels professional, organized, and trustworthy. Inconsistent design feels messy and unpolished — and that can drive visitors away.

5. Focus on Your Target Audience

Your website is for your customers, not for you — so everything on it should speak to their needs, their questions, and their preferences.

If you offer fire safety training for businesses, don’t clutter your site with content about home safety tips. Stick to what’s relevant and valuable for your audience.

The clearer and more focused your content is, the easier it is for your visitors to see that they’re in the right place.

6. Make Different Elements Easy to Recognize

Visitors should be able to instantly tell what’s what on your site.

• Headings should stand out from body text.
• Buttons should look clickable.
• Forms should be easy to find and fill out.
• Links should look like links.

The clearer you make each element, the less confused or frustrated your visitors will feel — and the faster they’ll take action.

7. Get to the Point (Be Concise)

Your visitors are busy. They want answers fast — not long-winded explanations.

Keep your text short, clear, and to the point. Use plain language, avoid jargon, and break up long sections into smaller chunks with clear headings.

If you can say something in fewer words without losing meaning, do it.

8. Create Engaging Content

Content isn’t just about what you say — it’s also about how you say it.

Ask yourself:

• What will make my visitors stay longer?
• What questions are they asking?
• What would actually help them?

Engaging content is helpful, relevant, and interesting. And don’t forget — different people prefer different types of content. Some like videos, some prefer quick bullet points, others want detailed guides.

Mix things up to keep your site interesting and useful.

9. Make Sure Your Site Works on All Devices (Responsive Design)

A responsive website automatically adjusts to fit any screen — desktop, tablet, or smartphone. This is absolutely essential.

Most visitors will probably visit your site on their phone at some point, so if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, they’ll struggle to use it — or leave immediately.

Modern websites should work perfectly on any device.

10. Speed Matters — A Lot

Slow websites drive visitors away. In fact, many people will leave if a page takes more than 3 seconds to load.

There are lots of reasons a website might be slow, including:

• Poor quality web hosting.
• Large image files that aren’t optimized.
• Bloated code or unnecessary scripts.

If you’re not sure how your site is performing, your web designer (or a free speed test tool) can help you check and speed things up.

11. Make Your Pages Easy to Scan

Most visitors don’t read every word. They scan. They glance at headings, bold text, and images — and they decide in a few seconds if your page is worth reading.

To make scanning easy, use:

• Clear headings that explain what each section is about.
• Bullet points or short lists (like this one).
• Images or icons to draw attention to key points.

If your page is easy to scan, visitors are much more likely to stick around.

12. Use Visual Hierarchy to Guide Attention

Visual hierarchy is just a fancy way of saying make the important stuff stand out.

• Big, bold headlines.
• Bright, easy-to-spot buttons.
• Key information placed at the top of the page.

The goal is to guide your visitors’ eyes so they notice the most important things first — without having to search for them.

Let’s Recap

You don’t need to be a web designer to improve your website’s user experience. By following these 12 simple guidelines, you can make your site easier to use — and more effective at converting visitors into customers.

12 User Experience Guidelines for Your Website

1. Use white space.
2. Keep it simple.
3. Use clear calls to action.
4. Be consistent.
5. Focus on your target audience.
6. Make elements easy to recognize.
7. Be concise.
8. Create engaging content.
9. Make your site mobile-friendly.
10. Ensure your site loads fast.
11. Make pages easy to scan.
12. Use visual hierarchy to guide attention.

By putting your visitors first, you’ll create a website that works better for them — and better for your business.