Addressing Layout Shift for Optimal User Experience: Insights by a Web Design Organisation for Insurance Companies
If you’ve ever been frustrated by a web page where things shift annoyingly as it loads, you’re not alone. This is often due to something called Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). It’s a part of the Google Page Experience Update and directly relates to how stable a page feels. For insurance companies, ensuring your visitors find information quickly and without hassle is crucial. That’s where taking action on CLS comes into play. You’ve got your audience to think about first and foremost. As a business, you want your website not just to look good but to function smoothly at all times—even as users scroll through pages, check policies, or submit claims forms. If the layout shifts too often, it distracts users and can make them lose trust in your service. To tackle this, experts like a Web Design Agency can offer a solid approach to addressing CLS and improving user experience.
In this blog, we’ll dig into what CLS means for your website’s performance and how you can fix it to provide a seamless user experience. Armed with these insights, you’ll have a clearer view of what to aim for and practical steps to make it happen. Let’s keep things simple and to the point, focusing on how you can make tangible improvements. Given the competitive nature of the insurance industry, these insights can make or break the way users perceive your company online.
Understanding Cumulative Layout Shift
So, what exactly is CLS? In short, it measures how much a web page shifts around while loading. Calculated by looking at the size and distance elements move between rendered frames, CLS affects how people perceive your site’s stability. For instance, if a piece of text suddenly jumps just as they’re about to click a link, you’re likely to have a dissatisfied visitor. CLS isn’t about the speed of the content loading; it focuses more on consistent placement of elements.
Why CLS Matters for Insurance Websites
For insurance websites, stability is vital. Why so? Because clients need to trust that they can make decisions based on information they quickly and reliably access. Pricing plans, policy details, and other crucial data should appear where expected without any surprises. Even a minor shift can cause confusion and erode trust. Addressing CLS becomes essential to maintain your brand’s credibility and keep clients engaged.
Optimising Page Stability
To minimise CLS, start by assessing what’s causing instability. Check out what images, ads, or third-party elements behave unexpectedly on your pages. Often, these are the culprits behind dissatisfied clicks and sudden shifts. To dig deeper, you might want to use tools like Google’s Lighthouse or PageSpeed Insights to identify problematic areas. These tools give you a score for CLS, making it easier to see where you stand.
Actionable Steps to Reduce CLS
Once you’ve identified the shifting elements, it’s time for action. Here’s what you can do:
- Set explicit height and width on your image dimensions to avoid bumps when images are loading.
- Reserve space for embedded items ahead of time to prevent unexpected fills.
- Optimise font loading using strategies like font-display: swap so text isn’t the cause of last-minute layout shifts.
Top Tools to Monitor CLS Effectively
Staying on top of CLS means using the right monitoring tools. Google provides web vital metrics built right into Chrome DevTools, PageSpeed Insights, and the Search Console. These help you keep tabs on CLS scores and understand how users are experiencing your site. Try setting up regular checks, incorporating CLS as a benchmark, and making sure any new pages or updates don’t negatively affect your site’s stability.
Preventing Future Shifts
While it’s great to fix what’s already shifting, prevention is always better. Be cautious with adding new elements, especially from third-party services. Conduct thorough testing before going live to spot potential areas for instability. Always consider how a change might affect other parts of your page and anticipate those scenarios. Teamwork here is essential; communicating with your developers and designers ensures every change works cohesively.
Keep User Experience at the Core
Your clients come to your site seeking clarity, ease, and speed. Improvements in CLS contribute directly to their experience by providing stability and fostering trust. Even small adjustments can have a big impact on user satisfaction, leading directly to better retention and conversions.
For professional assistance in addressing CLS and crafting a site that resonates with your customers, consider partnering with a Web Design for Insurance Companies. With expert support, you’ll ensure your website remains a reliable resource for all your clients.
