Every small-scale business or large-scale enterprise requires a website as it helps in achieving business goals, provide essential information to the prospective client and assists in improving the online presence of the company. These websites differ according to the business specification but what’s important is that it should offer an excellent user experience or UX.
The term UX is somewhat new in the IT industry, however, the concept of human-computer interaction (HCI) has been around for decades. To explain in simpler words, UX design is enhancing the user satisfaction by improving the website or application interface. A good UX design makes the website or app easy to use and if the customer is satisfied, it leads to an increase in sales as well.
However, some people still argue why UX is so important and why should a business invest heavily in improving its website UX, so in this article, we will look at the importance and advantages of user experience primarily in the field of web design.
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Increase Sales
Perhaps the most crucial advantage of having offered a good UX in web design is the increase in sales and revenue. For instance, a clothing website where the customer can easily narrow down searches based on his/her color preference, size and style will definitely be preferred as opposed to a website where all the products are shown together with no proper sorting. Whether its an e-commerce store or regular website displaying the company’s services, a good UX design will surely help in gaining the customer’s confidence and potentially leading towards a sale.
UX Design Helps in Saving Development Cost
UX Design not just improves web interface and increases sales; it also helps in cutting down development cost. The UX design process involves various steps such as research, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and implementation. The prototyping step is crucial when it comes to saving cost. It involves creating a mock design which is exactly like the final product without key functionalities.
Prototyping allows gaining opinion by the actual users in the early stage of development and adding those requirements in the final deliverable. This helps in saving cost as making modifications when the product is at the last stage is time-consuming and requires additional cost.
Bridging the Gap Between User and Content
Content is anything you see on the website or blog, for example, text, images, banners, video, and advertisements are all considered content. If you are running a blog which provides lifestyle tips, it is important that the user reads the content you post. With a good UX design, the user can be compelled to read the content you post and also interact more with the website or blog. One of the best technique is creating user personas of people who are visiting the website as this allows the UX designer to gain insight into the target audience and improve the design. For those bloggers who rely on Google ads to make money, it is important that their blog or website offers a unique UX to entice the audience and motivate them to navigate the website.
Retain Previous Customers
Returning customers are loyal users who keep opting for your services. With a great web user-experience (UX), the customer feels comfortable and keeps coming back for more. UX designers use a technique called Customer-Journey Map (CJM) which represents how the customer is interacting with the website starting from the first point of contact. CJMs are a useful way to find out more about customer’s needs and identify bottlenecks which can be fixed right away.
Improve Website’s Popularity by Word of Mouth
Any user who enjoys his/her experience on the website is most likely to share the details with their friends. UX designers understand the importance of word-of-mouth which is why they add social media sharing options on the website. This way the website gains popularity and free advertisement from genuine customers who have used the website. Moreover, it promotes trust as well since people generally believe the opinion of those close to them.
Conclusion
These are just five key advantages of having a good UX in web design. In essence, an effective and well-designed website helps generate more revenue, decreases training and support cost, reduces maintenance cost, improves efficiency and helps the brand maintain its credibility. Remember that each website is designed specifically according to the audience it will cater, this is one of the most important aspects of user experience and it helps the business in gaining the confidence of its clients.