Every business needs a website to stay competitive. However, not all websites are created equal. Some are so downright bad that users cringe every time they visit them. User experience (UX) refers to how someone feels when using your website or another digital service—not just what they think about it in an interview but how it actually feels when they use it. A user’s experience on your site is the primary determining factor for whether they return or leave forever. User experience begins with a user’s first impression of your site and continues through every subsequent visit. It involves various elements, from graphics and animation to terminology and layout. Each element affects the user’s experience on your site, which is why you should keep these tips in mind whenever you update or redesign your website:
Use white space
White space is the empty space on a page that doesn’t contain any written content. It’s an essential part of how we read and visually understand information on a page. It also gives the reader’s eyes a break from reading. White space can help improve the user experience by enhancing legibility and readability on a page. It can also help break up large blocks of text, making pages easier to navigate and less overwhelming for people with shorter attention spans. Whitespace can be created by the use of margins, line spacing, and the use of font size and type. While whitespace doesn’t directly affect the usability of a page, it does affect a visitor’s experience by making a page look uncluttered, professional, and easy to read.
Have a clear call to action
A call to action (CTA) is a prompt that directs a reader to take a specific action, such as signing up for a service or purchasing a product. You should have a CTA on each page of your website. Make sure the CTA is clear, concise, and visually appealing. Each CTA should be translated accurately and reflect your site’s specific language and context. You’ll need to create a separate CTA for each language if you have multilingual visitors on your site. For example, if you want visitors to sign up for your email newsletter, you might use the prompt “Sign up for our newsletter” for English-speaking visitors and “S’inscrire pour la newsletter” for French-speaking visitors.
Use live chat
Live chat is a tool that allows you to communicate with your customers in real-time on their website, via text or video call, or on your app. It’s a great way to improve your customer service and boost your user experience: An analysis of 17,500 live chat sessions conducted by Forrester Research found that websites that offer live chat have higher conversion rates than those that don’t. A study by iCarbonX found that live chat also increases customer satisfaction and the likelihood of customer retention. Many companies provide live chat. Some of these tools are free, while others offer paid plans, which are worth the investment if your business sees a lot of traffic. When you add website chatbot software, try to make it as unobtrusive as possible. A live chat window that’s always open on your website may deter visitors from further engaging with your site. Instead, consider setting it up as an icon that prompts customers to start a chat when they click it.
Have a responsive web design
A responsive website design (RWD) is one that automatically detects and adjusts to the type of device being used. While RWD practices can improve a visitor’s experience across all devices, they’re essential for mobile devices since those users are the most susceptible to leaving an app or website because it’s challenging to navigate. If your website isn’t responsive, you risk losing valuable mobile traffic. According to Google, 53% of all internet traffic comes from mobile devices. If your website isn’t mobile responsive, this will directly affect your rankings as google is making a concerted effort to focus on the mobile experience rather than desktop to accommodate changes in how people use the internet.
Although desktop computers still generate the majority of internet traffic overall, that percentage is declining while mobile traffic is increasing. Because RWD optimizes your content for all types of devices, including tablets, smartphones, and computers, it’s essential to maintain a positive user experience.
Optimize page speed
Page speed is the amount of time it takes for a page to load completely. The average page load time is just over five seconds, which is the time it takes the average user to lose interest. Google has made it clear: they value page speed as a ranking factor. They have indicated that page load time is a top priority in improving the user experience of their search results. Google has also published specific guidelines on optimizing page load time so that your pages are as efficient as possible.
Some tips to optimize page speed include;
- Reduce redirects
- Enable compression
- Use a content distribution network
- Minify CSS, Javascript, and HTML
Use images
Images are a critical part of any website, especially eCommerce websites. They help break up text-heavy pages, provide visual context for products, and drive home the benefits of using your product or service. There are many ways you can use images on your website to improve the user experience. Here are a few examples: Ensure all images are optimized – If you’re adding images to your site, make sure they’re optimized for the web. This means keeping the file size as small as possible while still retaining a high-quality image. You don’t want to slow down your page because of a high-res image. Use images that reflect your brand – Your images should reflect your brand to help build trust among prospective customers. This might include product images representing your brand, such as a branded water bottle for a health and wellness site.
Limit pop-ups
A pop-up is a website element that automatically appears on your site, usually in the form of an advertisement or sign-up prompt. They can help generate leads and sales, but they can often be intrusive and annoying for visitors. That’s why it’s essential to keep pop-ups to a minimum. Limit them to once per visit and after they’ve been on your website for a certain amount of time. If you’re using pop-ups, ensure they’re high-quality and relevant to your visitors. You don’t want to overwhelm them with pop-ups with little to do with your products or services.
Create valuable content and detailed product descriptions
A visitor’s experience on your site begins before they even arrive. They’re reading your content, such as blog posts, product descriptions, and articles, which will prompt them to continue reading or leave immediately. Write valuable, helpful content and include industry-specific keywords in your posts. Include a detailed description of each product you sell and thoroughly explain how it works. These two strategies are critical for any eCommerce website since customers will likely arrive at your site searching for a specific product. If they don’t find the information they’re looking for, they’ll probably leave and never return.
Catch 404 errors
A 404 error is the error code most commonly associated with broken links, missing pages, and a general error. Everyone experiences 404 errors on their website, but few people know how to handle them properly. Users who click a link on your website expect it to take them to a new page or lead them to a certain section. If they click on a broken link and are brought to a 404 page, they may think your site is broken and leave. You can catch 404 errors by monitoring website traffic and looking for specific URLs that aren’t leading anywhere. Once you’ve detected a 404 error, you can quickly create a new page to replace it.
Keep your pages consistent
Keeping your website pages consistent can help to improve the user experience. When you have different themes, colors, and fonts on each page, your content will be more complicated for your users to read. To ensure that your website is easy to use, keeping all of your pages consistent is essential.
Classifying your content can also help to improve the user experience. If you want users to find your site quickly, you must classify all of your content. If you label each post with a category or tag, users will know exactly where to find the information they want. By keeping all of your pages consistent, you will be able to build trust with your users and make them feel more confident about interacting with your site.
Conclusion
As you can see, improving the user experience on your website isn’t an easy task. It requires a significant investment in time and effort and the right combination of strategies. To improve your site’s UX, begin by analyzing your current site and finding ways to improve it. You may notice some areas that can be improved immediately, while others may require more time and effort before you can see results. Once you’ve identified ways to improve your site, follow through and implement them as soon as possible. You’ll want to make sure you don’t lose valuable traffic in the meantime.
