It’s understandable that most businesses value their online presence during the pandemic. And the truth is, many customers today find your business online first, so every aspect of your online presence, especially your website, must provide your customers with a amazing user experience (UX).
Your website is your best seller, and Customer service because it is the only aspect that contains all the information about your company, available products, etc. The websites operate 24 hours a day, in all countries and time zones, which leaves very little effort for human faults.
It’s hard to constantly keep up with ever-changing trends from design to shopping experience and more. However, you can avoid feeling old or outdated if you have successfully taught certain aspects, although sometimes an overhaul is essential.
But before trying to figure out how to improve your website visitors’ experience, let’s see why it matters.
Benefits of a Good Website Visitor Experience
Most businesses want the best website, but not everyone understands that websites are created for the consumer and not for a business owner only.
When thinking about a good website visitor experience, the first aspect to look for is the user experience. This will ensure:
Higher conversion rates
When a consumer or user likes the experience on your website, they are more likely to convert. A good user journey gives the consumer clarity about the product or service they are interested in.
Lower bounce rates
A poor user journey can depend on a variety of factors, starting with incomplete product or service details, unreadable text, loading issues, and more. All of these factors contribute to a consumer leaving your business site.
Brand Loyalty
Sometimes it’s important to keep in mind that not everyone is ready to buy. According Marketoaround 96% of people who visit your website are not ready to buy the first few times.
So no matter how clear some aspect, from design to text, how attractive or how big that call-to-action button is, if your consumer just doesn’t want to buy, they won’t convert.
So, the best action for businesses to take, in this case, is to create the best website possible and market your efforts through social media and other methods for the world to see. To make your social media plans less taxing on your team, you can always come up with a social media posting schedule just like SocialPilot does, to help you plan, schedule and more.
And how do you create this great website? Here’s how.
If you’re looking for a brief version of what you should be doing to improve your website, here it is – five surefire ways to improve your website experience.
- Use design to your advantage
- Use language for clarity
- Optimize your website’s page speed
- Be compatible with multiple devices
- Use tempting calls to action
Use design to your advantage
Select colors and fonts that appeal to your consumers. A good designer or design firm will spend a lot of time thinking about this and how to align it with your business goals.
If you’re working on your own website without a designer, white space is your best friend. White space is essential for good websites today because it helps your product stand out and your content to be more readable. It also has the ability to give your website a modern and minimal look and can be a timeless design that may require small changes in the future.
Image source: Zara
Another aspect to consider is visuals. Visuals are a great way to keep visitors engaged with your website. They can support communicating your message more effectively. A good rule of thumb when it comes to visuals is to use a high quality file so it doesn’t pixelate, but small enough not to cause lag for your page. Also consider including user generated content like customer videos or photos, as it helps build social proof.
Use language for clarity
Often we believe in the power of marketing, slogans and jingles and therefore use fun and quirky text to make our website exciting. While this is great and relevant to us, it may fall out of taste with some of your other consumers. Take, for example, this user who expressed his frustration to Microsoft Outlook for his choice of words.
Image source: Jonathon Colman – Twitter, Asset Global Files
When it comes to a website, a safe bet is to use simple, clear language that sets the right excuse for your consumer – this will help sell a service or product better. However, you can use fun elements in your conversation if you’re addressing a niche audience that you know will connect with quirky messages.
Optimize your website’s page speed
In today’s world, if you don’t have the audience’s attention in the first few seconds, you miss it completely. With the rage of social media, instant purchases, etc., the world is changing for people and websites alike.
At the end of 2019, Google considered a page load speed of up to two seconds to be the acceptable speed, although it recommended speeds under half a second. You can check the page loading speed of your website using Google’s Page Speed Insights tool.
Image source: Google Developer Speed Test
An article published by Nielsen Norman Group in May 2020 explained how page loading delays of a single second can interrupt a person’s consciousness. Further reiterating Google’s recommended page load speeds.
To avoid website lag, check all external plugins, backlinks and your website server performance. You can also choose to upload images as small as possible (well under 1MB), while maintaining their quality.
Be compatible with multiple devices
The world is constantly on the move and your website should be too. From tabs to tiny cellphones, your website should cater to all audiences and devices. This doesn’t just mean limiting your site to a vertical design. These websites should also be responsive to the user and include features that make the website zoomable, scannable, etc.
Make sure your font size is large enough to read on a phone, because you don’t want a user to get bored of zooming in to read everything. It might also help to stick to one main goal for each page.
Here is an example of a website designed and optimized for multiple devices by a design company for a luxury hotel customer.
Image source: Muscat branding by Whoa Mama
Use engaging calls to action
Whereas great design is all, a good responsive design should include an appealing call to action. Calls to action are such a critical aspect that they deserve special attention.
Every page on your website needs at least one clear and compelling call to action. This can be a link, a form, or a button that allows users to take the next step.
Understanding where to place your call to action is essential. The last thing you want is for your user to get frustrated with a faulty call-to-action button. Smaller devices make it difficult to work with buttons that aren’t properly coded because small screens don’t allow consumers to zoom in and click the button simultaneously.
Apple is very effective with their call-to-action buttons. As the image shows, Apple gave people 2 options – one which is a more direct call to action asking the user to buy and another which educates the user about the product.
Image source: Apple
bonus tip
Although websites are the best way to focus on your brand, it is important to consider social media – which in 2022 became a secondary website. A majority of people now turn to social media for honest portrayals of a company and seek Commentsfeedback, customer service, etc.
It helps to have an organized feed on each social platform and personalized tones depending on the platform. But don’t get overwhelmed just yet. You must also formulate a strong social media marketing strategy that helps you do your job.
You can also use your efforts here to redirect them to your official website, thus gaining greater online visibility for your business.
To sum up
Stick to a clean and simple website if all else fails. Focus on your product or service and give it the spotlight it deserves. You can’t go wrong with minimalism – but remember that minimalism shouldn’t stop you from adding the important information.
In short, don’t overdo it. Although websites require special attention and personalization, personalizing a website should convey a smooth experience to your target personas with consumer-relevant visual or textual elements. They should not be misled by exaggeration or lack of information.
Understand that even the best websites take time to sell to people and market your work, even on other platforms like Google or other social platforms.
Authors biography
Chelsea Cris Crocker is Senior Content Writer at social pilot. She is a Google Certified Digital Marketer with over 6 years of agency experience. When she’s not writing or strategizing for brands, she’s photographing, embroidering, hoarding books and spending more time than necessary caring for her pets. Her weaknesses include coffee, swimming pools, and more that she is unwilling to share.
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