Improving User Experience
A day rarely goes by at the Strathcom office where I (or one of my design team) don’t receive a request to change/edit/add/remove/update the design or layout elements on our websites. The intent of the request is usually to draw more attention to a piece of a client’s website or to increase conversions. However, sometimes these requests unintentionally do the opposite and negatively impact the usability of the website and, can potentially result in a lost user (and ultimately a lost sale). All because they neglect one crucial element: user experience.
The importance of User Experience (UX) cannot be understated. Every interaction a user has on your website –clicking a button or filling out a form– is a part of the overall experience they go through while browsing your website. And UX is a crucial piece in attracting and maintaining your customer base. When the user experience of your website leaves a user with a bad taste — they’ll just open up a new tab and Google the next website that will help them accomplish what they set out to do. If you can provide a user with an effective and productive experience on your website, you increase the chance of them accomplishing your website’s goals; better yet, you increase the chance of a return visit.
UX is more than just an aesthetically pleasing design — and it’s not one size fits all. It is an ongoing process that keeps the user’s needs and goals in mind, and becomes the solution that provides value for them.
So before you begin making adjustments and changes to the design of your website, ask yourself a few questions to put yourself in your site’s visitor’s shoes:
“What problem are we solving?”
“Why are we solving this problem?”
“Who are we designing for?”
If the solution to any of these questions improves user experience — then go for it, as improving UX is a major step toward improved conversion.
