Your website is the face of your business and often the first point of contact for future customers. You want to make sure that the website user experience is positive, and that it encourages your customers to continue to come back. Repeat customers could mean repeat business, and a website storefront is one of the most critical steps to ensuring that your customer user experience is a stellar one.
With all the hype about website creation, you may be wondering how to improve a website. The way a customer engages with your brand can make a huge impact on how your brand is received and how profitable it is.
Making sure that customers who visit the website find navigation easy and seamless makes your brand more appealing and customer friendly. If they find it poorly constructed, difficult to navigate, or too slow, they will quickly leave and not come back. It is in your best interest to take a quick look at some tips on how to help you improve your website user experience and keep your customers coming back below.
Designing a website for success
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White space
We know this is somewhat counterintuitive, but adequate white space brings your information to the forefront, making it more legible and organized. It focuses the user’s eye on what you intended them to look for in the first place.
In fact, according to a study conducted by Crazy Egg, white space around text increases user attention by 20%. Using white space adequately makes your website feel more open and modern.
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Page speed
A page that takes too long to load will cause you to lose potential customers immediately. Since mobile devices are frequently used to research and find businesses, fast and instant access to content will keep your customers engaged.
Do you know your page speed? It may be a good idea to check out Google’s free service where you can find out what your website page speed is and get advice on how to increase it.
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Calls to action
These visual cues, also known as CTAs or calls to action, should be easy to find and clearly marked. CTAs allow users to determine what information is important to them and act on it.
When creating them, make sure to pay close attention to the use of color and words used. Phrases like “Sign up Now” and “Get Started” are great CTAs that prompt the user to move to the next step of engaging with your business.
Interestingly, different colors generate different feelings and will trigger different reactions. However, if no emotional connection is made, no action will be taken. You want your customers to take action while on your website.
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Use images
Pictures tell a thousand words, but too many or generic ones can be confusing. When uploading images to your website, it’s important to use personal photos that display what your brand represents.
Using stock photography can decrease trust in your brand. The idea of including photos on your website is to increase the connection between you and the potential customer. Personal photography will achieve this.
Keeping customers engaged
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Mobile friendly
As mentioned before, being able to find your business easily on the web from a mobile device is crucial. How many times have you looked for your favorite brand on your phone? Think of your own business in the same way. It should be optimized for mobile devices so locals can easily find you.
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Keep it consistent
Maintaining website consistency makes for a pleasant experience. If pages are drastically different from each other, your customers may feel lost and confused.
Design themes, coloring, illustration, and photos should be coherent and an appropriate representation of your brand. Drastic changes can make your brand appear of lower quality.
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Use bullet points
Using bullet points helps your customers access the information they need quickly and easily. Whether you are listing benefits, problem-solving tips, or key features of a product/service, listing them in bullet form is an attractive way to keep customers engaged.
Don’t be afraid to get creative with bullet points. They are a great way to isolate the information you want your customers to see.
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Use smart hyperlinks
When you want to instruct your customer to click somewhere on your website, make it stand out. Visual cues that are easy to identify are more likely to get clicks!
A recent study shows that website links that are underlined and in blue are considered to be links that should be clicked. Also, longer hyperlinks are easier to identify. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel, but take advantage of user expectations that are already established.
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Well designed headings
Including headings with keywords ensures that you are targeting the right audience. Search engines give more weight to website headings than website content, so it’s in your best interest to make sure your headings act as an effective guide throughout your website. Remember, you want your users to easily find the content they are looking for on your website.
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No 404s
Have you ever visited a website and received a 404 error page? What did you do next? That’s exactly how your customers feel when they see this on your website.
Finding a 404 error page on a website will annoy your customers and send them packing. Next to a slow loading page, 404 errors are frustrating and disrupt easy navigation. Double and triple check for 404 errors on your website and fix them.
A user-friendly website increases conversions. You want your customers to stay on your website, look around, and make a purchase. These are a few tips on how to improve your website experience and keep your customers returning.
At Rosy Strategies, SEO is what we do and we would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about optimizing your website. If you’d rather leave this to the experts, give us a call today, or reach out to us on our Facebook page.
