Set user expectations

To ensure a good user experience, a site must have a clear objective. And narrower is probably better. For example, if you run a spa, it's probably too ambitious for your website to attempt to be the top resource on the web for all information pertaining to wellness treatments. A more logical – and profitable – set of objectives would be to provide detailed information about the treatments provided so potential customers can feel comfortable about making a purchase, and to enable customers to make reservations online and purchase gift certificates online.

I recommend: My website provides tips and examples on how to make a site more effective.

Make it easy for site users to do what you want them to do

In the example mentioned above (the spa website), links to descriptions of services, reservations and gift certificates should be among the first things users see when they arrive at the site's homepage.

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Read "Usability 101: Introduction to Usability" by website usability guru Jakob Nielsen.

Conduct research with site users and potential users

How can you know what users expect from your site and if they understand how to get what they want? By conducting one-on-one research sessions with actual potential site users (not company employees or friends who are familiar with what you have to offer). You can even do this yourself: sit down with a potential site user and have them go through the site as they would if you weren't there. Have them tell you what they're thinking, but try not to help them.

I recommend: You can conduct research yourself – the Nielsen article mentioned above includes very useful guidelines as well as advice on how to conduct website usability research.  Or you can hire a professional usability researcher to conduct research in a usability lab.  You can benefit from the researcher's experience and objectivity.  Go to the Qualitative Research Consultants Association website, click "Find a Researcher" and search for "usability" under "Specialties in Consultant's Own Words."