As online shoppers, we have all been in the position where you click on a website, and it’s impossible to navigate. Either it’s too complicated, too simple, or doesn’t provide any of the information you were looking for. The user experience (UX) is important because it can make or break your company’s success. Your UX defines your brand, and if a site visitor’s first impression of your web design isn’t great, they will take their business to the competition – and fast. The decision to stay on a site or move to another happens in seconds — 0.5 milliseconds, to be exact.
However, keeping your bounce rate low isn’t the only reason great UX is crucial. Let’s take a closer look:
Potential customers click on your website hoping that your product or service will solve the problem they’re seeking a solution for. As soon as they land on your page, they want to understand who you are, what you sell, and how you can help them. For that reason, it is crucial to immediately impress them with your UX and pull them in to learn more. Like we said above, it only takes 0.5 milliseconds for users to decide whether they should stay on your page or go, so you must fulfill your consumer’s expectations as fast as possible with impressive content.
You can do this by placing your businesses’ most important assets upfront, so the site visitor knows exactly who you are and what you do. By incorporating detailed pictures, videos, or interactive elements that explain why people need your product or service, users will be more inclined to stay on your site.
Whether you’re sitting at your desk during your lunch break or scrolling through your phone while watching tv, you expect every website you visit to fit your device perfectly. Consumers can become easily turned off by your business, specifically if your web design isn’t mobile-friendly. UX isn’t just referencing laptop navigation; it’s the entire experience a potential customer has with your brand, from your store’s window to mobile checkout.
By working with experts who know how to create a responsive website, your site can be mobile-friendly without limiting any information found on a desktop view. Web designers know which font sizes, navigation elements, and more to optimize your website for cell phone and computer use.
Your job is to ensure your page guides the user to their final destination through clear call to actions (CTA) and site flow. A website with fantastic UX is one that’s laid out so potential customers can make their way through all of the touchpoints necessary to make a sale, test a demo, etc. Each stage of your businesses’ page should have straightforward content that tells site visitors exactly who you are, what you do, and why they should choose your brand. For customers to have seamless interactions with your website, you need to begin with great UX.
Ensure that you have landing pages dedicated to every need a consumer might be looking for on your website. Have your homepage make a great first impression and be the starting point for the site visitor to want to learn more. From there, they should have the ability to access content on your company’s background, products or services, prices, locations, and other important information.
A conversion rate is the percentage of visitors to a website that complete a desired goal. Whether they make a purchase or fill out a form, these are people converting into customers. For example, if your business sells sneakers, you will want a high percentage of web visitors landing on your page and not leaving until they buy a pair. Good UX is critical here because if your site’s navigation is great, and the content speaks to every stage of the buyer’s journey, the chances of a lead turning into a customer is very likely.
You can increase your conversion rate by removing any clutter on your website, including reviews and testimonials from already loyal customers, and adding a pop-up customer service option. Another best practice is strengthening your CTAs to encourage site visitors to sign up for your newsletter, demo your product, or read why your sneakers are manufactured better than the competitors.
Blank space is quite literally the empty space on your website. Your UX design should have this because it allows the eyes to move naturally throughout the page. If a site has too much clutter, it can cause the site visitor to become confused, increasing the chances of bouncing. Your web design shouldn’t be stuffed with colors and buttons, and it shouldn’t only have a few pages either; a mix of the two is just right.
To achieve that perfect balance of blank space and on-brand content, include what is necessary to introduce your business to new users. All of the information on your website should be serving the purpose of educating site visitors on who you are and how they can benefit from using your company, so make sure there isn’t any extra fluff on your pages just to take up space. But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be interesting — make the design elements you do use intriguing and unique to your business.
Now that you understand the importance of your brand’s UX, you can begin working with an expert to build out a fantastic website and other services to increase brand awareness. Start by getting a better idea of who your target audience is and the types of personas that will buy your product or service.
When you clearly identify who will be visiting your page, you can easily define their needs and build your site around a solution. From there, utilizing keyword-rich content with search engine optimization (SEO) will help your website rank higher and gain more traffic.
By making users’ interactions with your website easier, you’re increasing the chances of leads turning into loyal customers. To get started on improving your UX, contact ZGM today!