UX (User Experience) design consists of all those processes which help teams create products that can offer the most meaningful and enjoyable experience possible to users. It will generally include various aspects intended to increase the relevance of usage, starting with usability and function, and moving on to branding and design.
Many people think of UX design as user interface design. In truth, UX design goes far beyond UI design, because the entire customer experience must be anticipated and not just the usage or functionality. In short, good user experience occurs when a product or website meets users’ needs and offers a high level of effectiveness and enjoyment in carrying out all normal functions.
Why UX and UX design are crucial aspects of your company’s website
There are several reasons why it is vital to provide an enjoyable user experience to someone who visits your site. The aim of website UX is to fulfill a user’s needs and to make that person glad that they availed themselves of whatever service you are providing.
When your customers enjoy visiting your site, they feel they can trust your company. They develop loyalty to your brand because they have found a business which seemingly understands their needs and has created a user experience which solves those needs. As anyone in the business world can tell you, there are few things more important than brand or product loyalty.
Because UX design relies so heavily on research and testing, it helps to set your company up for future success and future avoidance of problems.
By preventing usability issues right from the outset, you will be avoiding costly redesigns in the future. It’s far less expensive to create a good design than it is to fix bugs or to do a major redesign of your entire website.
Good UX Improves CRO
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is a set of strategies to help ensure more leads convert into customers. And it’s another reason why UX design is essential. If users have difficulty navigating around a complicated website, chances are they won’t hang around long enough to make a purchase. No matter how good a site looks, if it’s too complicated for most users, they will move on to the next similar site.
Effective UX Design Helps Your Website SEO
User experience is also a huge factor in Google’s search ranking algorithms. Concerning websites and SEO, when several users have a poor experience on a given site, that will invariably lead to lower search rankings. On the other hand, a robust UX design and positive experience for users will generally increase the ranking assigned by Google to a particular website.
Elements of UX
When going through the process of UX design, it will be necessary to follow some step-by-step procedures:
- Get to know your target audience – create a customer persona which will serve as a model of the type of buyer you’re trying to reach
- Test the user interface (UI)– since UI is a significant component in satisfying a user, it must be thoroughly tested for usefulness and efficiency
- Conduct user surveys – it’s crucial to have feedback from your target audience so that you can make any necessary tweaks or adjustments
- Create a user flow diagram – start by diagramming how you would expect users to navigate through a system, and then diagram how they are doing it
- Build a sitemap – sitemaps organize all the pages and subpages on your site and can be compared to the user flow diagram
- Design a wire-frame – a wire-frame is a skeletal representation of your website, which will point up any issues with usability or navigation
- Develop usage patterns – establishing these patterns will help to streamline the user’s interaction with your site, and will lead to a better experience
- Use style guides – these will help to ensure that consistency is used throughout the design and will make it more enjoyable and recognizable by the user.
How to improve UX
There are many ways you can improve your UX design. Start by reading books and articles about the topic. Next, explore competitor’s websites to get an idea of both good and bad website UX design in your industry.
You can also try some of the new tools which are available for design usage, for instance, a new software package on wire-framing. Many teams like to conduct a review or audit of designs they’ve already developed, as a means of evaluating what worked well, and what has proven to be less than effective.
Finally, there are two recommendations which appear to conflict, but each of them has its own merits.
1. Be innovative and original
Thinking out of the box can help you to develop new insights and to use more innovative thinking in your approach to design.
2. Stick to established UX design principles
However, there’s also something to be said for recycling components of past designs which have proven to be very useful and accessible. It is probably true that good UX design is a mix of old and new, including elements which have proven utility, and some which are
Ultimately, you want visitors to find what they’re looking for when they visit your site. That includes answers questions, how to get help, and how much that help might cost. Avoid flashy or flashing design elements and clutter.
Conclusion
User experience design is essential to providing the best possible usage of a website, and if you can achieve that, you’re very likely to have a satisfied customer. A happy customer is one who will return to your site again and again, having built up some level of trust and loyalty in your brand. Do whatever research is necessary to find out how to provide a user with the best experience, and it will undoubtedly bode well for your long-term business success.
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