User experience is certainly not a new digital phenomenon. Actually, let’s forget about the web for a second. It’s been going on for as long as we can remember in every industry. Comfortable holiday experiences, hassle free weekly shops at your local supermarket or even the ease at which we can return an item. All of these are ‘user experiences’.
Companies who are serious about looking to retain and grow their customers are focusing more and more on excellent user experience. This should be the case both online and offline. So it’s not just a case of making your website look pretty, or having a sexy new logo. Most of your customers won’t care, and the rest will quickly forget. The solution lies in the name of the subject; it’s all about creating that perfect experience in every aspect of your business.
Your website is essentially your shop front window. The user experience allows people to explore your shop, navigate themselves around with ease and land at the ‘till’ without any problems. From the moment the user (hopefully your next potential customer) lands on your website you have a matter of seconds to prove that you have a solution to their pain point.
There’s many reasons why a user would leave your site; 40% of people abandon a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Sounds harsh but unfortunately our increasing need for immediacy fuels these changes to how we conduct our marketing.
One way in which you can encourage visitors to engage with your site is through the use of video content. Websites with a video on the homepage have a 10% higher conversion rate. Whether this is a product demo, tutorial or case study, it appeals to how people are digesting content in today’s digital climate.
Design Aesthetics Vs User Experience
So how important are the design aesthetics of a website? Does it even matter?
Well, user experience is and should be strongly linked with the design. It’s difficult to think of a great user experience example when the design and layout of the page is awful. This does not necessarily mean that just because the site is not meeting the latest web trends that it won’t perform well.
For example, the social network website Reddit has grown to become the 27th most visited site in the world with an estimated worth of around $500 million. The heart of the reason to its success is in fact, the great user experience that the site brings.
The Importance of Building a Good Digital UX
I haven’t just plucked these statements out of thin air. Research shows that 55% of consumers are willing to pay more for a guaranteed good experience, and with 54% of shoppers buying online weekly or monthly, it’s crucial your website gives a good first impression that remains long-lasting.
If that wasn’t enough, 86% of them want to see information about your products/services. They wouldn’t be there if that wasn’t the case. Similarly, 64% of visitors that land on your homepage expect to see your contact information. Make it easy for them to find that information and ensure that details such as navigation, layout and style all remain consistent throughout the site to create a sense of stability and understanding of how your website functions. This will enable a natural flow through the marketing funnel, landing on more pages and clicking through on more call-to-actions.
Ultimately the user experience that solves the visitor’s problem and delights them is going to be the deciding factor in whether they convert into a customer. So make sure you do it right.
Download our free guide How To Create A Website That Delivers Leads here to drive more organic leads and website traffic.
Read more about conversion rates and 25 effective ways you can increase them in this great article by Siteoscope: https://www.siteoscope.com/