Usability Geek reports that user experience is one of the key determinants in turning website visitors into paying customers, with 88% avoiding sites which don’t meet their expectations and remain active on.
There are various ways you can enhance the user experience on your site, such as using metrics and data reports like Crazy Egg List; creating feedback forms; optimizing website content; or using tools such as Crazy Egg’s List report.
- Focus on Usability
Usability refers to making websites user-friendly, from navigation and content, registration forms, add to cart processes and checkout flows.
Users don’t tend to remain on websites that are difficult to use for very long. If they can’t locate what they need or if the information is difficult to digest, they will quickly leave and move on.
Current best practices for ecommerce and intranet design projects suggest that spending 10 percent of a project’s budget on usability testing can more than double desired quality metrics for sites. To conduct such an examination, gather some representative users – either customers for an ecommerce store or employees on an intranet – then ask them to perform representative tasks with designs to observe how successful or unsuccessful their attempts are.
- Make it Easy to Find What You’re Looking For
Navigation should never feel like an obstacle course. A website that follows a consistent navigation pattern helps visitors see all of the features they require at once and makes locating specific items simpler.
Applying tools like Crazy Egg or asking trusted individuals to browse your website in detail can help identify potential problem areas. If people frequently exit a certain page, for instance, question why.
Consider adding microcopy–functional text used on call to action buttons, form labels and tooltips–to inform, reassure, explain or guide users where they need to go next. This can increase time on site and page views per visit while decreasing bounce rates – and ultimately leading to an increase in conversions.
- Make It Easy to Navigate
As time is of the essence, visitors value an easy-to-use website over one with striking aesthetics that is difficult to navigate. To prevent making this mistake yourself, it is imperative that when designing your site you pay special attention to user experience design.
Fast loading speed, clear navigation and straightforward content presentation are the cornerstone of user satisfaction. Limit paragraphs and walls of text to an absolute minimum while breaking up lengthy sections using visual aids or numbered lists for better readability.
Also ensure that any navigational links contain accurate verbiage to give visitors an idea of what they will find when clicking through to a linked page. Cryptic or misleading language leads visitors down the wrong path and can result in frustration and site abandonment – these basic usability practices will improve user experiences on your site while increasing return on investment (ROI).
- Make it Easy to Contact You
Designing a site with user experience at its center requires great care. How the website appears and functions can determine its appeal to visitors and the likelihood of conversions.
No matter their reason for visiting your website, visitors must easily be able to get in touch with you or purchase your products/services or learn about your company. An easily accessible contact page with phone numbers, emails addresses and social media handles is key in this regard.
Consider including a testimonials page featuring quotes from past clients that highlight your services and expertise, which can increase conversions and trust with new customers. Make sure that everything works as intended by thoroughly testing all pages for speed and functionality; ask friends and family members to act as users and offer feedback on your site.
- Make it Easy to Convert
Even the smoothest website user journey can be disrupted by ineffective onsite content. From product descriptions and service offerings to government info and FAQ pages, effective copy should be standard on every site.
Microcopy such as button labels and form fields to inform, reassure and lead visitors towards conversions is one of the easiest ways to improve UX. Also providing feedback or reviews from past customers or case studies that demonstrate their value are excellent ways of building trust among visitors.
Simply stated, creating a positive user experience through intuitive navigation and seamless interaction design will increase user engagement and customer satisfaction, leading to higher sales and expansion for your business.