WordPress’s ease of use and automation have made it the web’s preferred content management system. Its goal is to make website creation so easy that anybody can do it.
However, sometimes the number of accessible plugins overwhelms site visitors, which is never a good thing. It’s important to keep your readers in mind at all times while developing your WordPress site.
We have outlined below a variety of methods for improving the user experience of your website.
Refine the User Experience with WordPress Plugins
Here are the methods to refine the user experience of your website readers:
- Insert Approximate Reading Time Using Reading Time WP
You can add an average reading time figure to help a reader determine how much time they need to devote to an article.
Furthermore, you may add estimated reading time using the free reading time WP plugin. This feature will put a rough estimation of the time required to read each of your articles to the top of the page automatically. If you want further control, you can manually input the reading time using a shortcode.
Moreover, use the free Read Meter Plugin to assist your users in estimating their reading time.
- Use WP Reading Progress to Display a Progress Bar While Reading
A progress indicator allows readers to quickly determine where they are in a post and how much remains. As readers who have a great deal running through their minds. Therefore, when they see a post, they want to know how long it will take to get the desired information.
To create a progress bar for your website, you may use the free WP Reading Progress plugin. It is fairly user-friendly, and you can also modify your bar by:
- Choosing a different colour
- Bringing the bar to the top or bottom of the display
- Make a point to limit your progress bar to certain types of content.
- Choose whether you want your progress bar to affect the whole page or only the article in the WordPress editor.
- Make a Sticky Header
Your site’s navigation menu makes it simple for visitors to access key sections. However, many themes conceal the navigation menu as the user scrolls down, leaving them trapped in that piece of information.
Therefore, you should make your header “sticky” so that it remains visible even as the reader scrolls down the page to enhance the reading experience.
You can determine whether your theme supports sticky holders. If not, you may use a WordPress plugin for assistance.
- Enhance WordPress Search Using SearchWP
If your website’s search is important to your readers, you might reconsider adding a WordPress plugin. Since the default search system is not very robust and can disappoint your readers.
You may install the SearchWP plugin, which provides numerous options for boosting the search capability of your website. It may also assist you in integrating Ajax live search, which shows search recommendations as users type.
- Build a Nighttime Mode by Activating Blackout
A dark mode option will benefit website visitors, especially at night. Since viewing too much blue light at night may make people unable to sleep and strain their eyes. Therefore, many devices include a dark mode by default.
Using a plugin such as the free Blackout plugin, you may add a dark mode to WordPress and raise the user experience for your readers.
However, it should be compatible with your theme for it to work. It also provides capabilities that allow you to store a user’s choice through a cookie or adapt it automatically to their operating system mode.
- Use a Broken Link Checker to Locate Broken Links
Your user clicks on a link to access the desired material, but a broken link redirects them to an error page. It might significantly annoy your visitors and cause you to lose a regular user.
Utilize the free Broken Link Checker plugin to detect and repair broken links on WordPress. It will automatically identify any broken links on your site and provide a centralized interface for fixing them.
- Insert a Picture Viewer/Lightbox
If your website has fairly intriguing photographs, you may enable zooming so that readers can see more details. Using a lightbox plugin, you may allow users to see the picture in its full quality when they click it. Moreover, it will not cause them to leave the website since it will just open the high-resolution picture in a popup.
Even if your WordPress gallery plugin doesn’t already include a lightbox function, the free Simple Lightbox plugin makes it easy to add one to any of your photographs.
- Enhance WordPress Performance Using WP Rocket (or Other Performance Plugins)
A faster-loading WordPress site means a better user experience. Your website’s income would suffer due to its slow loading speed.
Utilizing a caching/performance plugin for WordPress is a great way to speed up your site. While caching pages is essential, it’s also recommended that you employ a plugin that can assist you in implementing further performance best practices. The WP Rocket plugin simplifies the process of putting all the necessary speed best practices into effect on WordPress sites.
The selection of a fast WordPress host is among the most crucial factors in developing a fast-loading website. Although a plugin such as WP Rocket is helpful regardless of hosting quality, the latter is essential for optimal performance.
- Insert a Back to Top Button Using WPFront Scroll Top
It might be annoying for users of your site to have to scroll back up to the top of the page every time they finish reading a lengthy article. However, with a simple click of a “back to top” button, they may quickly return to the beginning of the page.
For avoiding the hassle of scrolling back to the top use the free WPFront Scroll Top plugin which allows you to easily get back to the top page.
Conclusion
All of the plugins work together to enhance the user experience of your website in slight ways.
Keep in mind that the speed at which your pages load is directly related to the quality of the user experience you provide. WebRiderz Services Pvt. Ltd. keeps all these plugins in check for their website’s better user experience. If the plugin achieves these objectives, you may succeed.