The focus during web design is on delivering a user experience that is not only engaging but also useful. After all, if users cannot find what they are looking for on your site, then it is not doing its job properly.
User experience (UX) design ensures that every element on your site – from the colors to the layout – works together to create a seamless and enjoyable experience for users and also improve your website’s page experience which is important for SEO.
In this article, we will discuss 8 reasons why user experience design is essential for your website in 2022:
1. Improve Website Usability
The first and most important reason to invest in user experience design is to improve the usability of your website. If your site is difficult to use, visitors will quickly become frustrated and leave without taking any action.
A good user experience will make it easy for visitors to find what they are looking for on your site and take the desired action, whether it is making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing to your newsletter.
To understand which design layouts, elements, and call-to-action (CTA) buttons increase the website’s usability, you need to do research first. According to Maze’s guide on ux research, designer teams and product managers also need to support and be a part of the UX research process.
Using data helps make the research process easier since decisions are based on key metrics rather than someone’s opinion.
2. Increase Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is essential for any business, but it is even more important for eCommerce businesses. If customers are not satisfied with their experience on your site, they are unlikely to make a purchase or come back in the future.
On the other hand, a great user experience will result in happy customers who are more likely to become repeat buyers and brand advocates.
For instance, some food delivery applications have an amazing UX where you can track exactly where your rider is and a time bar that shows how much time your food will be delivered. Such an engaging user experience makes the customer want to become a regular user of that brand.
Similarly, grocery shopping applications let you have virtual coins, which increase in number the more you purchase from them. Seeing the tab where your coins can be redeemed gives a different level of satisfaction.
3. Decrease Customer Support Requests
A well-designed website with a great user experience will minimize the need for customer support. If your site is easy to use and provides the information visitors are looking for, they are less likely to need to contact customer support.
Some brands with complex websites or applications need to create tutorial videos in order to guide the customers. A general rule of thumb of a good website design is that it should be intuitive. Users should know exactly what to do and where to click instead of having to watch “how to” videos.
Having a simple UX can save you a significant amount of money in customer support costs and free up your team to focus on other tasks.
4. Improve Conversion Rates
The goal of any website is to convert visitors into customers or leads. If your site has a poor user experience, visitors are less likely to take the desired action.
A good user experience, on the other hand, will increase the likelihood that visitors will take the desired action, whether it is making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing to your newsletter.
A poor web design is similar to having a slow-loading website. It frustrates the users. Such users will be looking for alternatives to your brand’s product or service.
The rule is to make the potential customer happy. The happier a person is, the likelier it is that they will buy from you and recommend your brand to others.
5. Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment
Shopping cart abandonment is a major issue for eCommerce businesses. If visitors add items to their cart but then leave without completing the purchase, it is a wasted opportunity for your business. A good user experience can reduce shopping cart abandonment by making it easy for visitors to find what they are looking for and complete the purchase.
Some websites have a UX in which if the customer wants to make a change to the cart, they need to go back to the product page. An efficient UX will have an edit cart option on the checkout page.
Similarly, if a person has added a product to the cart and then remembers to add an additional product from another category, a good UX will save the items in the cart.
Small details like these have an impact on reducing the cart abandonment rate and should be kept in mind.
6. Increase Sales and Revenue
Ultimately, the goal of any business is to increase sales and revenue.
A good user experience can help you achieve this goal by making it easy for visitors to find what they are looking for on your site and help take the desired action, whether it is adding the products to the cart or creating a booking to avail the service.
In addition to increasing sales and revenue, a good user experience can also help you generate leads and inquiries. If a person stays on your website for a long time, he/she is likely to complete an action.
The action could be as simple as filling out a form. But for the company, it means useful data. Data that can be used for nurturing customers even if they do not make the purchase.
Even if it means that the sales and revenue for your business will not instantly increase, a good UX increases your chances of having new customers and sales down the road.
7. Improve SEO
A good user experience can also help you improve your site’s SEO. If your site is easy to use and provides the information visitors are looking for, it will be more likely to rank higher in search results.
Page experience is one of the ranking criteria used by Google’s algorithms. So, for instance, if the users come to your website and do not like the website’s design/layout or whatever they are looking for, they will exit the website.
This increases the bounce rate.
A high bounce rate gives the signal to Google that the website or application is not really helpful for the people. Consequently, Google starts showing the website further down on the results pages. In short, a great design is also a key to ranking higher on search engines.
8. Create a Competitive Advantage
In today’s cutthroat marketplace, a website or application that has a great user experience design can give you a major advantage over your competitors. If your site is easy to use, it will be more likely to attract and retain visitors.
A user-friendly design also makes sure to cater to different age groups. For instance, elder people are generally not very tech-savvy and if the website is easy for them to navigate, then it can be used by all younger groups as well.
To have an increase in sales and revenue that is higher than your competitor’s, your website or application needs to be accessible to all different age groups of the target audience (of course i.e. if your niche allows you to target all the different groups.)
Why User Experience Design is Essential for Your Website
A good user experience is more than just making sure your site is easy to use. It is also about creating an enjoyable and satisfying experience for visitors. If your site is difficult to use, it will not only frustrate visitors but also leave a negative impression of your brand.
On the other hand, a well-designed site that is easy to use and provides a great user experience will create a positive impression of your brand and leave visitors wanting to come back for more.
Not only will a good web design make your site look professional and trustworthy, but also ensure that visitors can actually use your site and find what they are looking for.
It can also help you improve website usability, enhance customer satisfaction, increase conversion rates, and rank higher in search engines.
Having a better overall user experience means a boost in customer loyalty and your brand will stand out from the rest.
If you are looking to future-proof your website and give your visitors the best possible experience, then a well-thought-out user experience design is the key.
Author Bio:
Osama Zahid is a technology content strategist who is passionate about content marketing and all things SEO. He has helped various companies rank their content on the first page of search engines. In his free time, Osama loves to play football and travel. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
