Have you ever visited a site that was confusing, difficult to use and creepy? If you are a frequent internet user, you probably have.
The Internet is replete with websites that are beautifully designed butoffer a poor user experience.So, what’s the point of creating aesthetically appealing websites if the user experience is exasperating, awkward, and sluggish?
Here’s a sad scenario. For many web designers, creating a visually appealing website with some cool effects is the ultimate goal. They don’t give much importance to the core functionality and user experience, which eventually creates uncertainty and a feeling of uneasiness about your brand.
Believe it or not, the user experience is the most important part of website design that designers usually don’t consider unless something goes wrong. A stellar UX design is important to articulate your band story, deliver your ideas and sell your products to the users in a clear, logical way.
When it comes to creating a website design, focus on user-centered design that provides out-of-the-box experience to the users while fulfilling their needs and keeping users loyal to your brand and products. On top of that, a great user experience allows you to define customer journey on your website that is vital for your business success.
Here are some of the best UX practices that every web designer should keep in mind to create a website your users will love using.
- Organize Your Content Strategically
No one bothers to read every single word on a webpage. Users scan a page to find the desired product or information they are looking for. They skip over anything that is irrelevant. It is strongly advised to organize your content strategically to make it easy to skim. You can use bullet points, numbered lists, headings and short paragraphs to make your content scannable and easy to digest.
- Use White Space
One thing you should pay attention to when creating a design for outstanding user experience is the amount of white space. It is a great UX design principle that gives your content and design elements room to breathe. Using a white space between your design elements and text can make your website look clean and user-friendly while improving the attention span of visitors by as much as 20%.
- Use Consistent Navigation
Navigation is the most important thing that web designers should carefully consider when creating a website as there are many things associated with it such as accessibility and more. Even the bestselling product and the most important feature you offer is useless if users can’t find it.Consistency is the key. Make sure you use the same navigation menu on every page to make it easier for users to navigate through, instead of getting lost in the numerous pages of the website. If your navigation is changing from page to page, you will more likely lose and irritate your visitors. Make sure to use clear, easy and specific labels for each item in the navigation to make your products, services, or features more visible to the end user.
- Use Search Box
Users come to your website when they are looking for a particular product or information. You need to make sure your website has this important design element, to make it easier for users to search the website for what they are actually looking for quickly and painlessly. Display the search box prominently as it is the easiest route to discovery for your website visitors. If your users spend more time searching for what they need, chances are you will lose them. Make sure it works really well as it can significantly increase search usability along with offering an outstanding UX.
- Page Speed
Whether you are running a digital marketing company, website design agency, restaurant business or an accounting firm, your website speed is the important factor that you should keep in mind when designing a website. Your users won’t think for a second to abandon your website and jump to your competitors’ website if it takes too long to load. Besides creating annoying feelings and emotional damage, it creates a really bad UX. Page speed matters a lot. It will play a key role in creating a positive brand image, improving your search engine rankings, delighting your customers, boosting conversions and providing a phenomenal user experience.
- Use Field Labels in Web Forms
Website forms are one of the most important ways to interact with your users. In short, forms are the final step in the buyer’s journey of completing their goals. Users should be able to complete the form easily without any confusion. Don’t assume your users will know what they are supposed to enter. A good label tells users the purpose of the input field while maintaining the usefulness of the form. Make sure they don’t disappear when users click into the field.
The Bottom Line
All in all, the best design strategies are the ones that make your website an enjoyable experience for users. Honestly, it is worth the effort to implement the above-cited strategies in your website design to make it user-friendly and create a seamless UX. If your visitors truly enjoy using your website and easily accomplish their tasks, it will definitely increase your brand credibility, conversions and eventually sales.
