Is Your Website Isolating Residents?

​Connecting with residents is important. Often one of the first ways that happens is online, via your website. That is why it is important to make sure you have a user-friendly and informative website.

Unfortunately, it is easy to become complacent with your websites. You may think, “well, our website has been fine so far, why change it.” Then without even realizing it your website becomes so dated that it starts driving users away. Below are a few ways your website might be driving residents away.

Bad User Experience

There are several factors that contribute to poor user experience on the website. Your website may have a confusing menu structure, making it hard to navigate. Or it may look disorganized with a mix of colors and fonts.

Three important elements that effect user experience are:

  • Branding: Consistent branding is important. It helps users understand who you are. It also makes your website feel more organized.
  • Navigation: Part of making your website easy to use, is making it easy to navigate. An organized menu structure and onsite search function will help users find what they are looking for.
  • Mobile-Friendliness: Many of your website visitors will be using their phone or tablet to browse your site. If your website does not display properly on mobile devices, you will drive those users away. That is why it is important to make sure your website is designed to be responsive so pages will automatically align to fit the user’s device.

Calls-To-Action (CTA) & Contact Information

Clear CTA buttons and accessible contact information encourage users to interact with your website. Not including this information on the website can make residents feel isolated. Cleary displaying contact information instills a sense of trust.

Slow Load Times

If your website has a slow load time, most users will exit the site and move on. According to Google’s Core Web Vitals, the average load time of the main content on a web page should be 2.5 seconds or less.

Outdated Design & Content

Usually, residents are coming to your website looking for something specific.  If you don’t keep your website up-to-date, residents will feel lost and frustrated. So, it is important to keep both the content and design of your website recent. Delete old information, and be aware of design and functionality trends.

Note that spelling and grammar errors on the website are also off-putting to users.

Auto-Playing Videos & Pop-Ups

Avoid videos and music that auto play on the website. This can be both startling and confusing to users. Videos are a great resource, but let your users decide when they want to click play.

Pop-ups are useful in moderation, but too many are annoying. Limit the number of pop-up notifications on your website and make sure that pop-up boxes are easy to close. Let users access the content on your website, rather than distracting them with flashy pop-ups and videos.

GovUnity. is an experienced website design and development firm. We work with municipalities and other public sector organizations to create affordable, custom website solutions that enable you to better serve your residents. Get started with a free website assessment or request a quote today.