When potential customers visit your website, it is vital that they find what they are looking for right away. Like a housewife at the mall on Black Friday, users know what they want and they will expect to find it easily. In order to deliver a website experience that is satisfactory, you will need to design a platform that prioritises ease of access and quick interactions. We live in a society that thrives on instant gratification, which is why the famous three-click rule has never been more important.
What Is the Three-Click Rule?
The three-click rule is a website navigation rule that states users need to find their desired information within three clicks. In principle, after three clicks, visitors to your website become frustrated and will leave when they can’t find what they are looking for. Of course, there are exceptions to this. With an eCommerce site, for example, longer website visits are often more fruitful for businesses. Even so, the three-click rule is a good guideline to follow if you wish to have a successful website.
Improving the User Journey One Click at a Time
In order to maximise the user experience (UX) on your website, we must first take a look at what customers see when they land on your homepage. Ideally, the most important information will be displayed right away, without the user needing to open a separate menu or scroll down the page. A well-placed header featuring the most important links goes a long way in this regard, as does a brief introduction for your business alongside service-relevant imagery. If you can capture the attention of the users before they dive deeper into your website, you already have a better chance of converting them into a customer.
It’s important to note that over 55% of website traffic comes from mobile devices. So, you will need to design a website that works well on different screen sizes. For mobile, you may need to sacrifice the three-click rule in order to prioritise the placement of different elements on a smaller screen. But while the three-click is a good guideline to follow, you will need to adapt to different situations that your users will find themselves in. As long as a user finds value with each page they visit, a few extra clicks is unlikely to be a disaster.
Back to Square One
If you find that your website is needlessly confusing and promotes a longer journey for users, it might be best to redesign your website completely. While it's always good to have a web presence, your website may be doing you more harm than good if it fails to provide a solid user experience.
Looking for web design advice? Want an expert team to take care of your website needs? Get in touch with Amplify360 today - https://www.amplify360.co.za/web-design
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