This is the most important tip, which makes it number 1 on our list. People should just “get” how to use your website. Fear, doubt, and uncertainty creeps in when they have to think about how to use your website. If they get frustrated with your website, they’ll leave and find another. Example thoughts that cause fear, doubt, and uncertainty:

• “What does this link do?”
• “Hmm. Pretty busy. Where should I start?”
• “Is this clickable?”
• “What does that title mean?”
• “There’s too much information to process”

Imagine yourself driving and coming across a green stop sign. Do you stop or keep going? Whatever you chose to do, you probably had to think about it. And that usually spells fear, doubt, and uncertainty. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Most websites that try to do something new often come across gimmicky and hard to use. Keep things simple and use the current website conventions. For example, if most websites have their navigation on the left or top, you might consider doing the same also.

Most people don’t read web content word for word. That’s why it’s important to structure your content for scanning. Headings, bold fonts, descriptive links, and white space are a few of the things to consider when designing and writing your content.