An old saying goes that great companies are able to achieve success thanks to the power of a great user experience. This mentality is true in the real world and it is especially true when you’re talking about the world wide web. The user experience encompasses a wide variety of different elements that can’t be ignored, from functionality to branding to usability and everything in between. In order to maximize your efforts in the digital age, there are a few key concepts that you’re definitely going to want to be aware of with regards to your website and the user experience (also commonly referred to as UX) that it offers.
1. Speed Matters
Memorize the following phrase and repeat it to yourself often: “My website can always load faster, no matter what.” According to a study conducted by KISSmetrics, 40% of all people completely abandon a website if it takes longer than three full seconds to load.
2. Simplicity
If your site is overly complicated or difficult to navigate, it generally makes for a poor user experience. Visitors should be able to see the value of your site immediately after it loads in their browser.
3. Stock Photos
Stock photos may be cheap, but they’re not always a good idea. If the same photo is popping up on too many websites, visitors will start to lose trust in your brand.
4. Engagement Is Great
Engagement is something that you can increase by adding social media icons, “Share” buttons and the like. Another terrific way to engage with your visitors is by hosting a blog that they can comment on. You should also include an “About Us” page that lets the user read more information about your company, its history and the people that work there.
5. Sliders
Sliders are something that you should avoid at all costs. Not only do they take longer to load than they should, but they can also distract away from the true value of the site: its content.
6. Having a Boring Site
Having a boring site is essentially worse than not having one at all. It’s possible for any business, regardless of the type, to amp up the user experience on their site at all times.
7. Quality Content
Keeping content up to date and remarkable is a sure fire way to guarantee that your visitors will come back for more.
8. Write for Your Visitors, Not for SEO
Writing for SEO generally results in a website that reads like it was written by a robot and not a human. Write for your visitors and trust SEO to take care of the rest by itself.
9. Test It Out
Do you have problems when you use your own site? You can bet that your users are having the same problems, too. This is also a great way to learn what to fix before it becomes a big problem.
User experience is more than just how easy a site is to use. It also encompasses the way a site looks and feels. By taking steps to always make sure that you’re offering a user experience that your customers won’t be able to find anywhere else, you will separate yourself from a crowded marketplace and will see the types of success that you’re after.
