Long have gone the days of poorly designed websites and dull user experiences. With 4.8 billion internet users, you have to meet many expectations. The bar gets higher every day.
- “Post a video”.
- “Put enough images to make it appealing.”
- “Choose a good web hosting provider to achieve higher speed”.
- “Follow Google algorithm changes”.
You must be familiar with all of these claims. And while they’re true, they just aren’t enough. What has been the core of a successful web experience so far, now it’s just a basic element, something you start with.
Remember these standards from the early days of the internet? Source: CNN, a page from the 90s
In today’s article, we’ll assume that you have the basics covered and you need to kick your website up a notch with additional elements.
If your website is new and you have no audience to even test what’s working and what isn’t, then we recommend going through our article about getting traffic to new websites first.
Why Does My Website Need to be Fast?
Let’s start with the whooping fact that 80% of people say that a slow website is more frustrating than a website being temporarily down.
Being impatient is rooted deeply in human psychology. There’s a path between you and the reward. There’s a calculation of the costs incurred if you wait too much…
And there’s a dopamine hit when you get what you wanted. Everything that stands in your way causes frustration. Simple as that.
A tech giant we all depend on, Google, also likes fast websites. It likes them so much that speed is a ranking factor.
If your website loads slowly, aside from losing customers and money, you’re probably losing your precious spot on that famous first page.
Why Does My Website Need to be Beautiful and Pleasant to Use?
Humans are visual creatures. Our sense of sight is the most dominant because it brings multilayered information about our surroundings to our brain (color, nuances, distance from objects…).
Visual inputs from our surroundings cause cravings in our brain, make our pupils dilate from excitement, or help us avoid danger.
It’s safe to assume that visually attractive and fast experiences allure us to spend more time on a certain spot (in this case, a website) and to keep visiting it, in contrast to ugly experiences.
Even changing a hero image (the first image people see when they open your website) with a nicer one can increase the time people spend on your website by 40% or more.
But Speed and Beauty aren’t Isolated Factors, but Rather a Part of a Bigger Picture Called UX (User Experience).
What’s UX? you might be wondering. According to Don Norman, Cognitive Scientist & User Experience Architect:
“User experience encompasses all aspects of the end-users interaction with the company, its services, and its products.”
Simply put, UX is what people feel when working and communicating with your brand. You’d most certainly enjoy that people remember you as a business that provides excellence in every aspect?
It’s like looking at two brick-and-mortar stores, side by side, and deciding which one to enter. Do you pick the one with polite salesmen, nice shopping windows, nice Google reviews, and fast service…?
Or the one with bad reviews, dirty windows, frustrated shoppers…?
(And let’s not forget Google, again. They love UX and consider it a ranking factor.)
Here are 6 Things That will Skyrocket UX on Your Website
We agree it’s not easy to be among the best on the internet when it comes to UX, but there are essential factors that could improve your game and make you competitive.
These 6 things can pave a path for further improvement and exploration of how to make things better, faster, and more useful to your customers, visitors, and employees.
And in the end, make you look nice in the eyes of Google.
1. Modern Web Design is a Cornerstone of Good User Experience
This goes without saying. We know that DIY design, done in WordPress Elementor, proves that you’re a capable businessman… But let’s all agree on the fact that your competitors hire web designers who follow all the trends.
And people love trends and pop culture. With Gen Z being the dominant shoppers right now, you better follow their taste.
Some of the things that are all-the-hype today are:
- Minimalism
Don’t overload your webpage with too many things because too many choices cause anxiety and analysis paralysis. Try to say much with little. Respect people’s time.
- Dark Mode
The light mode used to be popular a lot because it increased readability, but dark more is taking over because it allows other creative elements to pop out.
Aside from that, studies show that dark mode reduces the strain on our eyes by reducing the exposure to blue light and glare. It’s no wonder that this trend is becoming more and more popular.
- Inclusivity & Accessibility
It’s not all about fancy features. There’s a lot about allowing everyone to use your website. Many brands are becoming aware of the fact that internet users are diverse in their capabilities.
To improve the accessibility, you might consider:
- Choosing the colors carefully (some colors are just impossible to see for many users)
- Implementing text-to-speech features (a good content structure certainly helps)
- Allowing for easier zooming in or out
To see all the Web Design Trends for 2021, check out this video from Envato:
2. Website Chat Improves UX and Reduces Friction for Users
Adding a website chat is perhaps one of the best ways to engage customers proactively and improve the UX. Why? Because you’re there when people need you and when they’re in the mindset to buy or look for information.
Imagine how much friction you’re reducing by answering questions directly. Your online chat is like that (sometimes boring but oftentimes helpful) salesman in the store.
In the end, your support teams can gather valuable feedback from your customers in the moment of shopping and improve the overall experience.
And we all know how important it is to know what our customers want from us, right?
3. Multimedia Experience for Better UX and More Love from Google
Did you know that 38% of visitors will stop engaging with a website if the content is unattractive? But how do you tell what content do they like?
Yes, you could ask, but before getting viable results of surveys and feedback, we’d suggest being proactive.
Add videos, galleries, animations, polls, chats…
But this goes against minimalism?
No, it doesn’t. Spread the elements throughout the page. Don’t be afraid to increase the length.
After all, that’s why you hire web designers. They know how to strike a good balance between minimalism and multimedia experience.
4. Voice Search is Loved by Many
Starting again with statistics because numbers speak for themselves. 71% of internet users prefer using voice search over typing text. Siri, Cortana, Alexa… All those tools now start making sense, right?
So why is voice search so important?
- Your customers want speed. Talking is faster than typing.
- Sometimes they have their hands full when they need a quick search. Imagine a mechanic with hands drowned in oil trying to find that one missing part and order it online.
- It’s helpful to visually impaired and disabled persons.
5. Credible Testimonials and Case Studies Help your Business Win that Sale
92% of people read online reviews before buying…. Or before doing anything transactional on the internet.
Just remember how many times have you read through countless reviews on Netflix before deciding what movie to watch. That’s right.
We depend on social proof. We believe more in something if more of our society members tell us it’s safe.
That’s why credible testimonials are crucial. However, it’s not easy to collect them due to NDAs or people not having enough time to fill in our short surveys after the transaction or collaboration…
Related: 11 Quick Tips to Optimize your Website Conversion Rate Today [CRO for Starters]
The same applies to case studies. People read them, marketers praise them. We love reading stories about other people. Knowing about their success helps us imagine what our success could look like (we’re visual creatures, remember?).
Make sure to incentivize giving testimonials and providing case study material in some way.
- Give out vouchers, gift cards, discounts on next purchase…
- Explain to your clients that promoting case studies means promoting their business as well (and for free)
- Make a dedicated page for your case studies so that both your business and your client’s get a boost in traffic
- And of course, add social media sharing/mail/printing buttons, to make them easily shareable and accessible
6. Scrolling Transformations: an Experiment for the Brave Ones
Scrolling transformations on the website are a special type of experience because the website changes dynamically and in real-time as you scroll down the page.
This one might sound like a contradiction to many things we’ve said above because transformations usually mean slowing down your website, challenging the usual user habits, etc…
(And let’s not forget the costs involved in making such a thing)
But where’s the fun if all the websites look the same? Adding a spark of creativity can fill in the gaps and matter more than speed. Because everything valuable enough is worth waiting for.
In the end, imagine delighted users frantically sharing your website. Isn’t that the UX we’re hoping to achieve?
To see a list of great examples, check out this list of parallax transformations from ImpactPlus.
Remember, You’re not Investing in Websites. You’re Investing in Experiences.
That’s something to remember. Because if you’re thinking that plunking down money for fancy features is a waste of budget already in the next season when new trends arrive… You’re better off with your current website.
You won’t be satisfied with results, no matter what you do, and more often than not, you’ll try to cut budgets (and corners).
However, if you start with your users and their experience in mind, all the features you implement and change with the trends would be an investment in future-proofing your business. People feel that and reward you with coming back for more.
Google rewards that and puts you in front of more people.
Most importantly, you feel like you’ve done a lot to improve your business and build a legacy.
