Many marketers think about web design in terms of what they
want potential customers to see. That perspective is important, but it’s
equally important to consider what it is you want prospective clients to feel
and do. That’s where user experience (or UX for short) comes into play.
UX is a huge topic in web design, and there have been a lot
of books, videos, and even entire seminars devoted to the topic. Assuming you
are a business owner or executive who just wants to improve online results,
though, most of what you need to know can be boiled down to five simple rules…
#1 Audience Awareness
Gives You a Big Web Design Advantage
Good UX, like good web design, is highly subjective. The way
you would build a page for a group of executives might differ very much from
the layout created for an audience of teens.
Knowing that, it’s important that you and your design team
think very carefully about your target audience. In fact, you should be aware
that there might be several audiences (including decision-makers, researchers,
and influencers) who all have their own distinct needs and preferences. Then
you can create pages and content that appeal to your specific prospects.
#2 Website Loading
Speed is a Top Priority
One thing that is virtually universal about providing a
pleasant online user experience is the need for webpages that load quickly.
This is underscored by the fact that numerous surveys have shown that the
average visitor will leave your page in just a few seconds if they don’t see
what they’re looking for.
There are a lot of ways to speed up your website, including
upgraded web hosting, more efficient website coding, and image optimization. If
yours aren’t moving fast enough, you should take steps to correct the problem.
#3 Your Most
Important Information Comes First
In the old days, newspaper editors knew that the lead story
had to fall “above the fold” so people passing by could see the headlines and
decide whether to make a purchase. The same principles apply to your business
website.
Whatever is most important for visitors to know about your
company should fall within the areas that will load immediately on a user’s
screen – even (or especially) if they are using a mobile device. That’s not a
lot of space, so you should use it wisely.
#4 More Clicking
Means Less Engagement
There are a lot of different ways to organize information on
a website, but you and your web design team should pay close attention to the
“depth” of your content. That term refers to the number of clicks or layers a
visitor has to navigate in order to find the information they want.
As a rule of thumb, the deeper a website is, the less
engagement you’re going to have. You don’t necessarily want to put everything
on one or two pages, but you also have to be careful that things like product
details or event registrations aren’t difficult to locate.
#5 Visitors Should be
Guided in the Right Direction
If you have a conversion goal you want to achieve, you
should do everything you can to guide website visitors in the right direction.
Make sure all of your pages and calls to action lead to a specific point.
This is good for your marketing efforts, of course, but it’s
also good UX. When you funnel visitors in the right way, you show them what
they can do to get more information and never leave them stranded.
Is It Time to Boost
the Results from Your Business Website?
If you feel like your business hasn’t been making the most
of trends like UX, mobile marketing, or custom web development, it’s time to
start getting the personal advice you need. Talk to the creative minds at
Kinetik IT in Phoenix today to see how we can help with web design, online
marketing, technology management, and so much more!