Ravi Kumar
It’s a competitive world out there for companies operating in the digital realm. The need to win over a customer, convert them, and make them your loyal brand follower before your competitors get the chance is growing stronger with each passing year. At the forefront of your efforts is your website, the face of your brand that needs to be designed for maximum user experience.
Without an effective website design, there is little you can do to minimize your bounce rate, get people to buy your products or services, read your blog, or do much of anything, really. So today we’ll be going over the five UX solutions that will help your brand win your customers’ hearts and minds.
Here is how to Improve website User experience.
#1. It all starts with performance
Whether your site’s responsiveness and load speed affect your ranking in the SERP can be debated (but they probably do), but what cannot be debated is whether or not these metrics influence user experience. Because they do, and to a great extent, hence the need to design your site for top performance at all times.
Assuming that you have opted for a dedicated web hosting plan, now’s the time to design your site for speed and seamless browsing. Here’s a quick checklist:
- Compress all images.
- Minimize HTTP requests.
- Minify and combine files.
- Reduce server response time.
- Enable browser caching.
- Use a content delivery network.
- Stick to the essential plugins only.
- Reduce the number of redirects.
- Use Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMPs)
- Monitor speed over time and adjust where needed.
These are some of the fixes that will help you put up a responsive, fast-loading website that will prevent your potential customers and clients from clicking the back button. However, keep in mind that site speed is but a single part of the UX puzzle.
#2. Optimize your site’s structure
Every website needs to have a well-designed structure in order to improve speed and responsiveness, but also guide the visitor on their browsing or shopping journey. Not only will this help you inspire and entice the visitor to make the decision to sign up to your newsletter, buy your products, or share your content, but it will also inspire them to come back and bring friends and family with them.
To build a winning site structure, you will need to keep it clear, concise, and as straightforward as possible. Some websites that host plenty of different products scattered across a multitude of subcategories will have to have more complex structures.
Whether you’re designing a simple online presentation, or an Ecommerce store boasting thousands of products, you will need to carve a clear path for the visitor, stick to as few subfolders as possible, and make navigation a breeze. For cumbersome websites, be sure to craft a clear sitemap that the visitor can use to navigate with ease.
#3. Evoke all the right emotions
To create a stellar user experience on your website, you need to take into account the non-technical aspects of an amazing design. We’re talking here, of course, about your brand strategy and how weaving it into the design of your site across the board can help you evoke the right emotions, engage your visitors, and boost conversions. Remember, in a sea of similar companies, you want to be the brand people know and love.
The pillars of your brand’s identity are your tone of voice, the values that define you (they need to complement the values of your demographic), the narratives that you create, your mission and vision, and your brand’s stories that fuel all of your content. Make sure that your brand’s personality is present throughout the site, with distinct wording and tone of voice, and don’t forget to weave the values you share with the customers into every product description, and every piece of content.
#4. Diversify content for higher engagement
While we’re on the topic of content, keep in mind that it has the power and potential to skyrocket your user experience through engaging and compelling storytelling. However, it’s not all about the written word, as quality content comes in many forms. Diversifying your content strategy and crafting other content types will ensure your visitors stay and engage with your brand through variety – a key concept you shouldn’t neglect.
Here are some effective content types you should include for higher UX:
- Articles and blog posts, of course.
- Comprehensive infographics.
- Engaging images.
- Videos – tutorials, product videos, ads, and more.
- Free eBooks visitors can get by subscribing to your newsletter.
- Interviews with authority figures in your industry.
- User-generated content to build social proof.
#5. Place your CTAs strategically
And finally, every website needs to have compelling CTAs placed in strategic locations in order to inspire visitors to try out services, buy products, and most importantly, become long-term brand advocates. Your CTAs should convey a compelling message that will help the visitor develop a deep desire for the product or service, and boast the right visual elements such as colors and illustrations that will capture their attention and portray your brand’s identity in the process.
Wrapping up
User experience is a complex metric that entails a great deal of web design solutions that have to work together to inspire your online audience to stay on your site, buy from you, and share the good word with their family and friends. Use these tips to improve your site’s UX and win the hearts and minds of your demographic.
