U … a common letter in the marketing world. No, it doesn’t stand for university. Not in this context. It represents User. Often, this magical letter is paired with ‘X’, to create the ubiquitous abbreviation UX – user experience. And it is this personalized experience that every web marketer should strive to improve. The success of your site depends on it.
The first step in your user experience improvement plan is research. That’s right. Never imagine you know what users want. To acquire that precious intel, you must discover what your target customer is all about. Popular facilitators include polls, surveys, letters of inquiry, and whatever else uncovers key demographic facts. This demographic info provides a foundation for your website’s user experience design. But it’s only the beginning.
Another important step is understanding a user’s needs or objectives. What exactly do they want anyway? What can your product do for them? The great part is, they’re more than happy to tell you – provided you supply the appropriate communications channel. Nowadays, that channel is real time chat. Increasingly, online shoppers are showing a marked preference for chat interactions to get the answers they seek. So, start programming those bots.
Decluttering is yet another important consideration when crafting a user experience. No question about it – simple is the way to go. Complex design and excessive verbiage create a labyrinth few users will endure. Rather than twist through the tangle, they’ll flee your site. Try explaining that to management.
While implementing the foregoing strategies facilitates user experience success, never underestimate the power of good ol’ fashioned feedback. Properly coaxed, users will tell you what they like and don’t like about your website. You’ve just gotta ask. And make the necessary improvements.
Implementing the above suggestions will help improve the user experience. But don’t think for a moment the effort isn’t worth it. Because as all web marketers eventually will discover, it’s all about U.
If you have questions or comments about enhancing your website’s user experience, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.
You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #4033 or bart@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest brand marketing news and tips.