Category: Websites

Making Websites More User-Friendly for the Elderly

User-Friendly Website

As people age, visual and motor limitations can make browsing websites challenging. With 17% of the global population over 60, ensuring digital accessibility for the elderly takes priority. Here we detail key website design considerations for senior users:

Legible Typography

Declining vision makes reading small text extremely taxing. Use clean, legible fonts at 14 pixels or higher in size. Employ ample line heights with enough spacing between paragraphs. Format text content using headings, lists and tables for easier visual parsing. Provide magnification capabilities to further enlarge text. Also give font size adjustment options or style sheet alternatives.

Obvious Navigation and Labels

Avoid overloading elderly users with complex site navigation patterns or ambiguity in labels. Keep menus simple with common schema they recognize like top bars and sidebar listings. Use descriptive one-word links that clearly indicate destination pages. Providing search also accommodates directly finding information.

Strong Visual Contrast

Low contrast between text and background colors strains reader vision and comprehension. Sufficiently differentiate elements on page through dark font colors against light backgrounds and crisp divider lines between sections. Icons and buttons should saliently stand out from surrounding content.

Minimal Clutter and Distractions

Too much peripheral imagery, ads or unnecessary textures makes concentrating difficult. Streamline page layouts to spotlight key content and tools. Retain only visuals central to context and provide generous negative space. Use minimal motion like parallax effects or overly flashy components fatiguing users.

Input Accommodations

Shaky hands and motor difficulties means typing precisely is harder for the elderly. Expand form fields for easier target tapping on mobile. Give dropdown alternatives to typing for age or date inputs. Support voice commands alongside other inputs.

Simplified Workflows

Multi-step workflows often overwhelm senior users. Cut down procedures into abbreviated sequences using clear language. Offer guest checkouts at online stores and forms prefilled wherever possible. Ensure undo abilities so users can self-correct errors worry-free.

With some thoughtful UX considerations, brands can make sites welcoming for users of all ability levels. Treat accessibility as universal design benefiting overall usability. Conduct user testing with senior groups to optimize experiences specifically for their needs. The elderly deserve inclusive digital engagement keeping their interests in mind.

Web Design Is Much More Complicated Than It Used To Be

When it comes to website design, you would think that the entire process would be very easy right? After all, there are plenty of free website hosters, editors, and tutorials that allow you to go and create your own webpage with no trouble whatsoever. Most of these allow users to drag and drop and customize their website quickly, and once everything is done, with the touch of a button the website is posted and hosted.

However, for people who really want to get deep into the nitty gritty of building a website, website design is actually incredibly complicated, but why is that? What’s changed?

Websites Need To Cater To More Than One User

For starters, billions of people from different walks of life, cultures, and backgrounds are all checking out your website. They want your website to appeal to them, and you want your website to appeal to them as well so that they will interact with it. However, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to a website design, especially when considering the wide range of devices your website needs to accommodate.

The Constant Changes

Websites might be getting easier to access in terms of technology, but they are getting harder to build and maintain. With the constant changes in what the best technology for a website is, as well as the constant changes telling you what good web design is, many web developers are simply finding themselves unable to keep up with it all.

The competitors for your niche and your audience are watching your website design in order to see where they can come in and steal your customers, so ensuring that you are on top of your trends is going to help you out.

Embrace The Complexity

Finally, don’t be afraid that website design has gotten more complicated, you need to embrace it and focus on making sure that you simply build a good website. Just do that, and then you will continue to learn along the way.

Cheap Website Development: Sadly, You Get What You Pay For

Creating a website is a critical step for any business in today’s digital age. While there are numerous low-cost or even free website options available, it’s essential to remember the adage – “you get what you pay for.” In this blog post, we’ll discuss the drawbacks of cheap website and why investing more in this area can yield significant returns.

What Does Cheap Website Look Like?

Cheap website development typically includes using free or low-cost website builders, hiring a freelancer with low rates, or even trying to build the website yourself with minimal experience. While these options can save you money upfront, they often lead to higher costs down the line due to the potential issues that they bring.

The Drawbacks Of Going Cheap

  • Lack of Customization: Most cheap website options offer limited customization. You’ll likely be confined to pre-set templates that many other websites are also using, reducing your website’s uniqueness and potentially leading to a poor user experience.
  • Poor SEO Implementation: Cheap website builders often lack the built-in SEO features that professional developers can provide, leading to lower search engine rankings.
  • Long-Term Maintenance Issues: Inexpensive websites typically lack robust maintenance and support. When issues arise, you’re often left to fix them yourself, which can lead to downtime and lost potential revenue.
  • Security Vulnerabilities: Cheap or DIY websites may lack the security features that come with professionally built sites, making them vulnerable to hackers.
  • Lack of Scalability: As your business grows, your website needs to grow with it. Unfortunately, cheaply built websites often lack the scalability to accommodate growth, leading to a need for a complete redesign. This can lead to a poor user experience for site visitors, which can in turn hurt your business’s reputation.

Investing In Quality Website

By investing in quality website development, you’re investing in your business’s future. A professionally built website will offer:

  • A unique, customized design that matches your brand.
  • An SEO-friendly structure that can improve your visibility online.
  • Robust security to protect your business and your customers.
  • Scalability to grow with your business.
  • Continued maintenance and support to keep your site running smoothly.

There’s no denying that professional website requires a more significant upfront investment. However, it’s important to view this as exactly that – an investment. A well-built website is your online storefront and can drive significant business growth. While going cheap can be tempting, remember: sadly, you get what you pay for. Invest wisely.