Understanding the Basics of User Experience (UX)

Every consumer is impacted by user experience. It can de a deal breaker when it comes to a consumer making a sale. A reason why user experience can be so tricky, though, is because it’s a continuously evolving thing.

Every year, advanced technology & new ideas come along that change consumer experience for the better. Now that’s great for users scouring the web for the latest info or products but what does this mean for businesses? Essentially, it means that more attention must be given to UX design than ever before.

Good UX design has become more important than ever in 2021 as Google take user experience into account in their ranking algorithm. For more information on this check out our post, How good ux design will improve Google ranking.

So, how do I get there?

We’ll break down the fundamentals here, so you can go away buzzing with ideas and a clear idea of what you’re going right, and where you might be going wrong.

What is User Experience?

User experience encompasses everything to do with your website. It is how users interact with your website, and how they navigate your service pages or products. The better your user experience, no matter how customers are finding you, the more likely they’ll stay on your page. If they like what they see and find your website simple to use, they’re more likely to stay around, have a browse and potentially make a purchase. So many businesses lose out on traffic because of clunky web design or outdated practices. Your site structure, visual design, branding usability, site speed… you name it, it’ll tap into your user experience. It plays a vital part in the success of your website, and how many searches result in a purchase.

Your website is what you make of it

Think of UX design as your personal playground. It is where businesses can get creative, by thinking about what your customers want and how you can be the best at providing this. It’s simple stuff, but that’s the crux of it.

In a nutshell, UX ensures:

• Users are happy
• Search engines notice you
• You boost traffic and visibility

Pull these elements together, and you can see yourself become a front runner in the industry. Sorted. Check out our UX design page for more.

Why does User Experience in Web Design matter?

UX in web design is everything. It is the bread and butter for designers. Say you’re browsing the web for a product. What is it that is going to draw you in? It is the very same factors that will draw in your potential customers. A clear, concise and usable website for sure. That’s one box ticked. What’s next? It’s offering a better user experience than your competitors, so users aren’t tempted to go elsewhere.

Consider the following…

• Product images
• Visuals
• Mindful & minimal design
• Simple navigation

These all tie into a consumer making that final decision whether or not to purchase from you, or a competitor. That’s why UX in web design matters.

Feeling daunted? Don’t panic. Find out more about our web design services if you think you need a hand.

How does User Experience and Web Design impact traffic?

With more competitors to think about, working out how you can attract more traffic is vital to be seen in the best light by search engines. Search engines will notice you if they see more users interacting with your website and showing loyalty. You get this loyalty from a positive user experience. What’s more, search engines will take even more of a shine to you if you’re going above and beyond with visuals, helpful tools, and a smart, stunning interface.

How will this help impact traffic?

This will push you higher in the rankings, which gives you more opportunity to be seen by those searching for services/products you provide. This can massively impact your traffic, and, guess what, more and more users will see the benefits of coming to you. They’ll recommend your site, show you loyalty, and keep coming back. It’s an ongoing win for you.

How important is user experience in design?

As we said earlier, user experience in design is everything. They go hand in hand. Designers work continuously to create and devise new strategies or ideas that will make life easier for the user or consumer. The only way to progress is to innovate, and this is hugely important when it comes to UX. This is something web designers are always aware of, and defines the way they work.

Still with us?

So, you now know how important UX is when it comes to designing your website.

The next questions to ask yourself:

• How can you make your website the best?
• What does it need to boost that traffic?
• Where can work be done to give that all important edge that sees you get ahead?

The essential points:

Streamline your devices

Streamlining your devices is the next big thing with user experience. Users are constantly seeking websites that they can navigate with ease. It should come as no surprise, then, that the web design wizards have now tapped into device synchronisation. Essentially, giving users the ability to use your site across all devices. Multi-platform usability can get you far; users will see you as a forward-thinking company, as will search engines, and you will pick up more traffic. Simple.

Content is still king

This age-old mantra is still relevant. As much as UX is essential to get right, as important is the content your users are interacting with. Aim for high quality, informative content that tells a story and reminds user why they should use your website over others. Paired with interactive visuals and fast-loading pages, and you’ve got yourself a winning formula.

Consider a visual design overhaul

Visual design encompasses page structure, usability and should consider your responsive web design, too. (Click here to find out everything you need to know about that). Use of high-quality images, helpful videos and punchy infographics will all add to user experience. Long chunks of text are no longer the best way to get users engaged. Content is still king, but by mixing up your page with visuals, interactive features and great colour scheme is how you’ll get noticed.

Chatbots are key

AI chatbots are another way to get customers on board with your website. With both millennials and baby boomers looking for high quality customer experiences from chatbots, what’s becoming apparent is that if you’re adding a chatbot feature, do it right. The more intuitive and personalised the chatbot experience, the happier your customers will be. Instant responses and a humanised experience with chatbots are becoming more important than ever, as Inc. reports, so make this a focus for the next year and beyond.

Make it personal

Another vital way to boost your UX? Tailoring user experience to the individual. This makes it far easier to remarket and re-approach an existing customer. Now by this, we mean product suggestions based on their search history, and personalised emails and services. There is a massive amount of opportunity with personalisation. Making customers feel valued is powerful stuff. If you can develop and personalise your UX to the individual and bring them on board, who knows where it could take you.

Keep it simple

Consumers like simplicity. As we touched on earlier, mindful and minimal design is the way forward. Consumers don’t want to be interrupted by frustrating pop ups or a shed load of information and products they aren’t interested in. Time -saving features that can boost the user experience while still keeping the design slick is the balance to aim for. As the user is at the centre of design, make it easy for them! Simple design helps content stand out, too. It’s all about the user journey. Make this a smooth one, and you’ll soon see results.

Fast loading pages

This is probably the most obvious way to improve your UX, but it’s still worth mentioning. Time and time again, statistics about page load times are proving how vital it is to get right. As we discuss in our blog post, a fast website is vital for online business.

Still on the fence? Just have a read through some of these:

• 47% of consumers expect a web page to load in 2 seconds or less
• 40% of users abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load
• 79% of shoppers dissatisfied with a website’s performance are less likely to buy from the same site again.
• 30% of mobile users would wait no more than 10 seconds before abandoning a site

Voice user interaction

Now, don’t be put off by this one. The likes of Siri and Alexa mean that more and more users expect voice user interface to be a feature of a leading website. Voice user interfaces essentially allow a user to interact with your website with voice or speech commands. As users a constantly seeking innovative and easy ways to interact with service or product page, you might want to consider VUI.

TOP TIP: Check out this handy article on voice user interfaces and how they can help you.

User experience can completely transform how users interact with your website, and when done right, it turns potential customers into loyal customers. Web design is the key player here that ties everything together.

Unsure if your web design is the best it can be? Reach out to us. Code 23 can give your website the overhaul it needs so you’re noticed by all the right people. It’s what we do.

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