Web design has gone a long way since 1991 and Tim Berners-Lee’s first web page in the world. Although that is enough time for people to get used to its features, many still don’t know how to properly create an online presence. Namely, when building a website, it is important to know its purpose and just being online is not an option anymore.
User experience or UX design is very popular because it’s all about easing the use and access to the content. It is important to create a website that will provide necessary information to the user and be attractive. Accomplishing goals, business or personal, is one of the main features your design should follow. Misconceptions about it create confusion and wrong conclusions. The following seven are the most common ones that still live around. So let’s debunk them.
1. UX is about usability
It’s important for a website to be usable, but that is not all you should concentrate on. Web design is more demanding than that. As a business, you have to think about your goals and target audience. This means that you have to know what your audience wants through comprehensive studies.
Your website will become your brand. Also, it has to be functional and accommodate users’ needs. With these two aspects covered, your website will be functional and financially successful. This is, in the end, the purpose of using the UX design.
2. It’s about new technology
People tend to misunderstand the new technology. When something new appears, we all believe that we should use it. However, technology doesn’t work that way. It’s all about the results you want and how it can help you get them.
Observe the technology as means to achieve results by improving the user experience. Nevertheless, if new technology doesn’t do that for your website then it’s a waste of resources and can chase away your audience. So always think about the best option to improve UX design and not using something just because is fresh on the scene.
3. It’s a one-time thing
User experience is not something you can start and finish. It’s an ongoing process and requires undivided dedication. Your audience will change over time, as well as the market and terms of conduct. To be ahead of the competition you have to anticipate your target audience, improve your website and constantly observe the trends.
4. UX is a form of web design
Firstly, UX design is not a solution but the process. This means that UX doesn’t fix problems with your website. Actually, UX design is present from the beginning and is integrated into every part of your site. It presents your brand and thus implements the values your business promotes.
UX goes beyond the web design. It’s more of a principle which helps you communicate with your target audience. If you observe your business more closely, you will see that it’s the part of your everyday operations and customer relations.
5. You understand your audience
Every business thinks that it understands its audience. This is a common mistake directly attributed to the marketing process. It starts with the firm belief that you have a great product so everyone else will think that, too. Many companies operate holding to this belief and create their marketing around it.
However, it’s much more complicated. Assumptions will create the experience for the company, not its users if this kind of approach is maintained. That’s why in-depth research and analysis are necessary before developing UX design. The only way to really understand your users and find the target audience is if you do a research first, and then create the UX based on it. Creating the UX just because you believe that your product will be popular is not only wrong but can also backfire and cause financial loss.
6. Audience is rational
Your audience is not entirely rational. Presuming otherwise will only cause problems and business failures. Your users are people, and you must observe them that way. That means that they’re more than statistics and are prone to subjective thinking.
UX design has to anticipate that behavior and not suppose that people will choose your product just because it’s rationally practical. Responsive web design is one of the things that can help you with this since people use different devices and operating systems to access websites today. Respect their right to have a choice and start building from there.
7. User experience is optional
There is nothing optional about user experience. All businesses have it and use it on daily basis. Even when you believe you don’t have one, you actually do. The main difference is that you have a choice to have a quality UX or the one which will work against you.
Your website will be for the most of your customers the first thing they see about you or their primary source of information. The way you behave towards them on your website and in other forms, like direct communication or providing service in person, shouldn’t be different. It’s all part of the user experience, and it needs to be consistent.
Always observe user experience as part of the web design project since it’s the key to any successful business. Find an appropriate approach with your target audience and implement it through all aspects of your business. In addition, remember, all businesses have user experience but the difference is that functional ones are designed with care and attention based on the research of the audience.
