easy to use website
Design simple pages your customers understand — faster conversions, fewer calls, less friction.
This guide gives step-by-step, actionable advice for building an easy-to-use website: simple design rules, SEO basics that make you findable, and user experience improvements that convert visitors into customers.
Users decide in 3 seconds. Make purpose and contact obvious.
Design for phones first — most customers will visit on mobile.
Local keywords, schema, and fast load times help you get found.
Simple design principles for usability
An easy-to-use website follows three simple rules: reduce choices, highlight the primary action, and be consistent. Apply these to every page.
Keep the layout obvious
Use a single column on mobile and a clear content column on desktop. Avoid multi-column sidebars on service pages.
- Hero with one sentence about what you do
- Primary CTA visible without scrolling
- Contact info in header and footer
Readable typography
Use large, high-contrast text and short paragraphs. People skim — help them scan with headings and lists.
- Body text 16–18px on mobile
- Headings that describe intent (not clever copy)
- Limit fonts to 1–2 families
Use colour with purpose
Reserve bright colours for CTAs and important actions. Keep background and text contrast strong for legibility.
Tip: Test CTA contrast in grayscale — it should still stand out.
Use real photos of your work
Authentic images build trust. If you don't have photos, use high-quality stock that honestly represents your service.
- Compress images for web to keep pages fast
- Always add descriptive alt text for each image
SEO essentials that make your site findable
Search engines reward clarity, relevance and fast pages. Focus on basics that give the biggest returns for small businesses.
On-page SEO (quick wins)
- Page title: Keep it descriptive and include a location or service (e.g., Plumber Sydney — Blocked Drains).
- Meta description: Short summary that invites a click (120–155 characters).
- Headings: Use H1 once (page title), then H2/H3 for sections. Make them descriptive.
- URL slugs: Short and readable — example.com/blocked-drains-sydney
- Alt text: Describe the image and include a keyword naturally (for accessibility and SEO)
Local SEO
Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile, use local keywords, and add your service area on the site.
- NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistent across web listings
- Embed a Google Maps pin on the contact page
- Encourage short reviews after each job
Technical SEO & schema
Make it easy for search engines to read your site with schema and a sitemap.
- Add LocalBusiness schema for address, opening hours and services
- Generate and submit a sitemap to Google Search Console
- Ensure pages use HTTPS and have fast server response times
Content tip: Write pages for customers, not robots. Answer the top 3 questions customers ask over the phone. That content will rank and convert.
Performance: make pages load fast
Speed improves search ranking and user satisfaction. These are the highest-impact steps to reduce load time.
Compress images
Resize to display size and use WebP or compressed JPEG. Aim for under 200KB per image where possible.
Lazy-load offscreen assets
Only load images and scripts when needed — improves initial paint on mobile.
Fast hosting & CDN
Use a reliable host with edge caching. A good host saves seconds on every page load.
Measure & iterate
Use Google PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse for scores and specific fixes. Aim for 90+ on mobile where possible.
Accessibility: simple steps that help everyone
Accessible sites are easier to use for everyone and reduce legal risk. Implement the basics.
- Use alt text for all images
- Ensure colour contrast of text vs background (WCAG AA)
- Make all interactive elements reachable by keyboard
- Provide visible focus outlines for links and buttons
Testing & launch checklist
Before you go live, verify the essentials with this short checklist.
Checklist (must-pass)
- Tap-to-call works on mobile
- Contact form sends messages (test it)
- Address or service area visible
- Site loads on HTTPS
- Analytics tracking installed
User tests (5 minutes each)
- Ask someone to find your prices within 30 seconds
- Ask someone to book or contact you — observe friction points
- Test page load on a slow mobile connection
- Check how the page looks on the most common phone models you expect
A simple 7-step plan to build an easy-to-use site
- Define the main goal: Is the site for calls, bookings, or enquiries? Pick one and design around it.
- Draft 3 essential pages: Home, Services (one page per core service), Contact & Pricing. Keep content short and benefit-driven.
- Write clear headings: Each section answers one user question. Use "Service — Location" for SEO-friendly headings.
- Add a visible CTA: Top of every page should show a single primary CTA (Call / Book / Get Quote).
- Use 3–6 real photos: Show real work, not overly staged images. Compress them for speed.
- Install analytics & GBP: Add Google Analytics and claim your Google Business Profile so local customers can find you.
- Test & iterate: Run the 5-minute user tests, check PageSpeed, and fix the top 1–2 issues each week.
Need a faster route?
Congero builds fully responsive, local-SEO ready sites for small businesses and launches them quickly. If you'd rather skip the setup and immediately get an easy-to-use site, our service includes domain, hosting, monthly analytics, and unlimited text-in updates for a flat monthly fee — no lock-in contracts.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can I have a simple, usable site?
Do I need to write long pages for SEO?
What’s the most important UX improvement?
Make your website easy to use — start today
Follow the steps in this guide to reduce friction, get found locally, and convert more visitors. If you want a fast, hands-off path, see a demo of a ready-to-launch site.
Congero builds mobile-first websites, includes domain, hosting, local SEO and monthly analytics — with unlimited updates by text. No lock-in contracts.
