User Experience (UX) is a design principle that influences every aspect of a website’s development, from initial prototyping to usability testing. It’s about optimizing the page to create a seamless, positive experience that encourages users to stay on-site, to navigate around the page, and to interact with the brand.
In other words, a good UX experience is the difference between who can delight their users the most and who can send users scrambling to a competitor the fastest.
To understand the importance UX design, all you have to do is look at those who get it wrong. We’ve all experienced it at one time or another:
All of these elements discourage users from spending time on the page and, naturally, decrease the odds they’ll enter your marketing pipeline. Research by Forrester found that a well-designed UX can raise website conversion rates by as much as 200 percent. (Incidentally, this is why so many companies work with outsourced design firms to streamline their UX—there’s too much at stake not to.)
So, what strategy does a company use to succeed with UX design?
"Websites should be simplifying checkout, menu displays, and most importantly simplifying decision making. Give your users obvious and clear paths to the sites goals." ~ Matt Stewart, Creative Director, The Creative Momentum
As UX design is influenced by how users perceive a page, there is no one-size-fits-all solution—the specifics will depend on the audience itself. However, a few best practices have emerged over the years:
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the user's experience is the most important aspect of web design. Every design-related decision you make will either directly or indirectly influence how users feel about your site. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help and learn which changes will produce the best results.