You naturally want users to have a positive experience with your brand, whether they’re entering a brick-and-mortar location or interacting with your company virtually. Here are several ways to make sure that users who find you online have the best possible experience.
1. Optimize for mobile
Responsive design is no longer a suggestion – it’s a must. So many users are getting their content via mobile devices these days that if they’re bogged down by having to scroll, side-scroll, and resize, they’re going to navigate away post haste.
Completely aside from the fact that Google is pushing their mobile-first agenda, you need to cater to user needs if you want visitors to have a good experience with your brand, and this means creating web pages optimized for both desktop and mobile viewing.
2. Update
Trends in design change frequently. This is true of everything from interior design and fashion to the form and function of your website. You don’t necessarily need to revamp your website seasonally, but you do need to pay attention to trends in web design so that you can keep the hub of your online operations up to date.
A good example of recent changes is the appearance of the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines representing a pull-down menu – they look a bit like a hamburger). These have largely replaced the standard navigation bar under the header, reducing page clutter and making modern sites appear more sleek and minimalistic.
3. Streamline
Nobody wants to feel like they’re being visually assaulted by a website. While you might have a lot of information to convey, or loud colors and graphics may be in keeping with your business and your branding, you need to seriously consider the psychological effect your content has on visitors.
If your pages are too cluttered or visually overwhelming, streamlining is a good way to improve the user experience. This applies to your navigation, as well. Modern websites keep it simple when it comes to layout and design.
4. Simple, intuitive navigation
Seasoned site owners should have this down by now, but for the newbies out there, it’s important to make sure finding content on your website is easy. This means keeping your navigation simple and creating an intuitive interface for users.
5. Reconsider content formatting
The standard paragraph structure may have sufficed when the internet was in its infancy, but these days visitors want to consume information in easily digestible chunks. This has led to paragraphs featuring only 1-2 sentences, as well as the addition of sub-headings, bulleted lists, and other means of breaking up data.
6. Attractive graphics
Choosing graphics that appeal to viewers and characterize your brand isn’t easy, and aside from choosing the right images, you have to use them appropriately. That said, pictures are worth a thousand words, and they can dramatically improve the user experience when you get it right.
7. Test
Whether you regularly test your site speed and check for broken links, or you conduct A/B or multivariate testing to see how viewers react to your page designs, testing is an important part of ensuring a positive and productive user experience.
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