1. Make sure your website is responsive.
We’ve said it again but it’s worth repeating. A website should look good and work properly on a range of devices. So many people have access to multiple devices now whether Smart TVs, desktop computers, laptops, tablet, or mobiles. Sizes and formats vary greatly. Some people will even be using more than one device at any one time, sat in front of a computer with their phone in front of them, sometimes it’s just quicker to grab a mobile to look something up.
2. Make it pretty.
Like it or not we do all judge books by the cover, if we don’t like what we see we’re less inclined to click further. Well designed, attractive websites engage well with the users. And it doesn’t just happen. Big corporates invest time and money in market research, developing their brand and understanding their target audience to make sure their website delivers what the user expects to see.
3. But not just pretty – it needs to work.
Now there’s the catch, A savvy user won’t be fooled by just an attractive website. The whole user experience needs to be enjoyable. Passing through the website at the various stages needs to be pain free. Avoid dead ends, always ensure every route through the website results in the desired end result, whether that’s an ecommerce checkout or the filling out of an enquiry form.
Don’t under value the user experience and user interface design stages when producing your new website and give the user clear calls to action throughout the journey.
4. Be informative.
People want quick simple facts. Are you local, national, or international? Do you charge for delivery or do you offer free delivery? Do you have a returns policy or online chat service? Is it easy to get in touch? These are things a user might want to know within the first few seconds on your website.
Icons and infographics can be a great way to highlight important and useful information. It’s great to go into a lot of detail on your website and give people all the information they need. But sometimes you need to give a quick into, a graphic or short bullet list of the key info upfront and allow users to click through for the full details.
5. Don’t be humble!
It’s all very British to be a bit more discrete and reserved but be proud of what you do and shout it loud on your website. If you’ve won awards or been featured on telly or something then show off about it. People want to know you’re a credible business. But hang on, here’s an even better idea, let other people say how good you are. Showing positive customer reviews on your website will prove to users that other people had a good experience with your company. If it’s good enough for them then it’ll be good enough for me!
... and finally
There can be a lot involved with creating an attractive website that functions well and gives your users an enjoyable experience. But sometimes a back-to-basics review can help you clearly see what you need to do.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to talk to us about improving the user experience and/or redesigning the user interface of your website .
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