The Importance Of User Experience In Web Design

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There is much debate surrounding just what makes a website a success. Of course, content and design are huge factors, but they are perhaps not the definitive reasons why a website attracts new business. Online marketing is also a major contributing factor, but that will only get people to visit the site; what makes visitors new customers? Well, the answer is user experience, and that is usually a combination of design, flow, content and reward. Referred to by some IT professionals as UX, user experience is the overall benefit your potential customers gain from visiting your site. Let?s face it; there is little point to a website if it fails to convert visitors into paying customers.

Although user experience is hard to quantify ? or even explain ? a web agency might define it as how the visitor feels whilst exploring a site, as well as how they respond. Visitor responses may be physical, which could include signing up to free-trials, interacting with various features or even purchasing a product or service. An emotional response is more difficult to assess, but it could include something as simple as a positive reaction to the general message. It is the emotional responses that leave lasting impressions, and it is those emotions that are responsible for making loyal customers out of first-time visitors. There is no ?one-size-fits-all? approach to user experience, as each company must tailor its approach depending on a number of factors.

The Target Market

The specific industry in which a website will operate is hugely important, as it will help to determine the target audience, as well as ascertaining the expectations of visitors. Will visitors want to learn, or will they be looking to make a quick purchase? Is the purpose of the website to build a network of business contacts, or is it intended to directly market products and services. Only by being completely sure of the website?s target market and its central purpose can business-owners tailor the user experience accordingly.

Live the Experience

The only way to truly understand if an existing website flows in a natural and logical way is by navigating through it with the eyes of a potential customer. The ?flow? of a site is, once again, difficult to define, yet it encompasses visual aspects, content and ease of navigation. Websites that flow in a logical way will make it easy for visitors to get the information they need as quickly as possible; bored or frustrated visitors are very unlikely to become future customers.

Websites should be given the Human Touch

Too many corporate websites are being designed for search engines, and while this may make them more likely to be discovered, it means visitors are unlikely to ?buy in? to the site?s core message. A human touch could mean aesthetically pleasing designs, or it could be a simple case of including content that strikes a conversational tone. A particularly effective strategy for many companies involves the use of humour, illustrations and interactive features. Customers who are engaged from the moment they land on a website are far more likely to invest in the business ? both emotionally and financially.

These important steps for creating a valuable user experience may sound simple, but they need to be implemented after some careful research into the industry and its customer base. The most cost-effective solution is often to hire a web design agency in order to manage the process in its entirety.? A website that has been designed to deliver the best user experience possible may be costly, but the potential rewards could make it a shrewd investment.

Energy House Digital is a specialist?web?agency?committed to providing high performance web solutions. For more information please visit ? http://www.energyhousedigital.co.uk/

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Source: http://www.weberinternetmarketing.com/web-design-issues/

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