First impressions last, and if you are a user experience (UX) designer, you would know first-hand what that really means. UX designers care about the look, the swag. But only because they care a lot about users and their preferences. They also care about the brand and how it will send its message across, how it will enhance experience and engagement, and how it will make money, of course.
User experience web design has evolved over the years. As websites were turned into apps, e-mail into in-mail, and blogs into social media posts, it was imperative for UX design to also embrace the change. But while UX design tools have become more sophisticated, the goal has remained the same. A research from the Oxford Journal stated that the goal of every and all user experience principles is to “improve customer satisfaction and loyalty through the utility, ease of use, and pleasure provided in the interaction with a product.”
The investment of a digital marketing agency for UX design is well-warranted. Companies know that a professionally-designed digital platform will bring in the likes, shares, and comments. They know that it enhances their audience’s experiences which translate in conversions and actual profit.
How do you do it? Here are seven actionable ways to win at the UX design game.
Who are you Designing for?
Be in the mindset of the user. Only by really understanding the people you are designing for will you be able to create a great web design. Have a persona of the target market in mind. Are they young, mostly women, mostly men, loves to shop, active in social media, online shoppers, etc.? With this, you will have an idea of how your design is supposed to look and work, and what needs are there to satisfy. Know who you are designing for so you would also have a clear idea of your deliverables.
Make it easy
In achieving a conversion-based UX design, it is important to put the user first. Designers are online most of the time and they can tell a good UX design from a bad one in just a few seconds. Now, put yourself in the shoes of a regular user to identify pain points and eliminate them.
Make navigation simple. Style is important but never compromise functionality. Make sure that everything that the market could possibly want (products, promos, contact, etc.) can be easily located. Avoid repetitive tasks. Stop making users re-enter passwords all the time or going back to the main menu just to find themselves starting all over again.
Bring Out the Beauty
Of course, the look is important. First impressions last, after all. Design should appeal to your target market and must be easy on the eyes. Don’t saturate your audience with too much of the good thing. Remember to push branding while doing the layout, picking a theme or a font style. Always balance look with functionality. It is also important to be consistent and forcing the user to re-learn how to do a similar task in another area just because the look is entirely different.
Fit for Mobile
Mobile Internet usage has skyrocketed over the past few years. A research by comScore reports that smartphone usage jumped by 394%. Today, 75% of all Americans access the Internet on both desktop and mobile devices. This sends a clear message to designers: make sure your design is fit for mobile and multiple screen sizes.
Focus on Responsiveness
People are getting increasingly impatient these days. This is the reason why finding ways on how to create conversion in your UX design should always have a place for responsiveness. Design, which may include images and videos, should load fast. Speed affects your bottom line in more ways than you think.
One survey revealed that nearly half of web users expect a site to load in two seconds or less. On the third second, they abandon the site. And worse, they even spread the “bad news” to their friends. If your website isn’t as responsive, you are bound to lose conversions and push potential sales down the drain.
Appeal to the Emotions
Emotions should always form part of your user experience principles. By inducing positive emotions, you can begin integrating emotional intelligence to UX design. Some of these emotions are: surprise, attraction, exclusivity, and responsiveness. Always add a human element to your content. A frail girl begging for food triggers emotions, a hot model, or a really cute baby smiling are examples of images that can easily appeal to emotions. It also helps to be more personal. The key here is to give the design some soul and humanity.
Have Some Fun
Engage users by giving your design more personality. Try some animation, gifs, or memes. Of course, use them fittingly all the time because these types of content also have the tendency to overshadow the message or bring down the value of the brand.
When displaying an error message, address users’ frustrations by being creative. You can also do this after they have performed a task such as shop online or send a feedback. You can always do better than “You have successfully made a purchase” or “Thank you for your feedback.”
A great UX design isn’t just about pretty aesthetics or ease of use. It’s about how a website feels and the overall flow. It is about how you make users feel. Web designers will find this reminder by Antoine de Saint-Exupery particularly useful: “A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
