UX & UI: What do they even mean?
User Experience & User Interface or UX & UI—every website, app and software has these and you have been
What are these business buzzwords and how do they apply to you?
Let’s decode these mysterious acronyms and explore the opportunities you have to improve them on your website.
The Difference
So User Experience is all about how visitors perceive your site and their overall interaction with it—did they like the aesthetics and find what they needed easily? It also encompasses the User Interface; or your layout, navigation, and actual design elements in the website—are they intuitive and informative?
The Importance
So why do you need to know about UX & UI? Why do you keep hearing about it? You have to be able to balance the two with good content to create a high performing website. Think if you had the most beautiful and strategic website, but if it takes forever to load or has an overbearing (or underwhelming!) navigation menu people are going to bounce off your site and never look back.
Or, you could have the opposite problem; you have a fast, easy to use site but it looks like it was designed by a child, possibly during 2010s… people are going to question the legitimacy of your business. If you’re already a certifiable legit business to people but you have a weak website, then you will never be respected by consumers as an authority in your industry.
How to Improve User Experince
Here are some tips to ensure your website is both visually appealing and user-friendly:
Keep it simple: Don't overcrowd your website with too much information or too many design elements. Keep it simple to keep users focused. Make pages extra long instead of extra busy in any one view someone could have on their screen,
Use clear and concise language: Avoid using technical jargon or complicated words that might confuse your users. Think of your website from the perspective of an outsider that might need introducing to things before they can be convinced.
Also, always break up your text into small readable chunks. People don’t want to read essays. (see what I did here)
Make it easy to navigate: Use as few main tabs on your menu as possible, again focusing your visitor to the key areas they need to get to know your business. The menu and navigation should be clear and intuitive. Include contact information in the footer as it’s standard for websites—you never know where people might go looking for yours.
Ensure it's mobile-friendly: This is paramount these days. A bad mobile site is just a bad first impression and continued impressions until it’s fixed. Most people will browse your site on mobile and you need to be ready for them.
Make it fast: More related to your hosting provider than your actual website, a slow website can drive customers crazy to the point of going to the competition. Make everyone’s experience more enjoyable and make sure your website has a loading speed
User Interface Features to Include
Scroll to Top button
Limit popup frequency for regular users
All menu options are clear, not hidden or cramped
Call to Action button(s) in your header
Content summaries at the beginning of long blogs or webpages
Sprinkle imagery all around, even if its minimal and decorative, use it as small ways to spice up your site, give visuals for your text, and keep visitors engaged
Email collection in the footer of your website
Clear buttons when you want to link to other information or reference another page of the site
How to USE this Knowledge
You know what UX & UI mean now, are you ready to apply it to your own site? Open a private tab, search your brand on Google, and put on your customer hat. You’re about to look at your website through a new lens and hopefully a critical one.
Look forward to finding areas of your website and brand that you could improve! It does'n’t have to be all at once and you don’t need to have all the answers after you take a good dive into your site as a customer.
If you want help auditing your website or implementing changes, or just want to discuss your brand’s online presence, send me a message!
