With regard to your company’s website, user experience, or UX, is how a person interacts with all aspects of the site. It encompasses criteria such as the value of the website to the user, how it functions, ease of use and the level of your business’ credibility.
UX design is the process taken to ensure your web pages are meaningful and relevant to your visitors. It is critical for a business’ success that they provide a positive user experience, as that will lead to engagement and sales - give users what they want, and you get to reap the results.
What Makes a Great User Experience
So, what makes a great UX for visitors to your website for both current and potential customers?
- Clear, useful, visually appealing content: Keep your website content helpful for potential customers. Minimise text and include clear images and diagrams or videos to meet the needs of the users. Also, keep your pages consistent in their visual design.
- Easy to use: Your web pages must be easy to use, with simple and clear navigation. Ensure all your pages load quickly, fix any broken pages and make sure your site is suitable for both PC and mobile devices.
- Calls to action: Using attractive call to action buttons and links stand out and improves the user journey by giving clear options to follow.
- Personalisation & options: Users feel at home if they get the sense they are welcome to your website - offer a discount for a first-time user or group products together so the customer can shop as if you have tailored your stock just for them. Make sure your checkout system provides different options and is quick and easy to use. Multiple payment options are appealing to customers too.
Reasons to Conduct a UX Website Audit
If you are noticing signs that your website is not attracting or retaining visitors as well as you want it to be, it may be because it needs some fixes or even a major redesign. Perhaps customers are often abandoning their carts, bounce rates are increasing, or people are unsubscribing at a higher rate than usual. While these stats may be obvious, what areas of your website need optimising may not be so obvious.
Another great time to conduct a UX audit is when you are planning on redesigning your website, want to implement a new function or product, or the site simply hasn’t had any attention for a long time.
As a website design agency that offers UX design audits, we have the expertise and advice your business needs to benefit greatly from conducting one.
What is a UX Design Audit?
An evaluation of your website’s user interface, a UX audit will help to understand where users are experiencing difficulties, provides data about their behaviour and needs and advises what can be done to update the site.
It is basically a quality check and using the audit results to make necessary changes to your website can significantly improve your user’s interactions and advance your business.
The functions that are reviewed during an audit assessment include usability, accessibility, any points of friction for users, design inconsistencies and comparison of your website design with your business goals.
Smaller businesses may have the staff to conduct an in-house audit, however to ensure you really get the most out of it, engage one of our UX design audit experts for a highly detailed assessment and receive a UX audit report containing actionable recommendations on how to move forward.
The Benefits of an UX Audit
There is a lot to be gained from conducting a UX website audit as it gives you real information, rather than just running with hypotheses. Some of the most significant benefits include:
Redesign Your Website Using Solid Data
You may have a few ideas, even guesses, at what the pain points are with your website, but you can’t beat having real data to go on. The changes you make with your website design will actually work and therefore be worth the time and money you invest.
Identify Who Your Users Are
This extremely valuable user research allows you to redesign where necessary to tailor your website specific to your visitors. You can engage new customers, build customer loyalty and improve your overall brand perception.
Improve the Experience for Your Users
Finding the gaps in the experience of users to your website gives you the opportunity to align your website to your visitors. Your website will be redesigned using data to keep your customer journey satisfaction at a maximum.
Increase Conversions & Company Growth
By fixing the usability issues on your website, you will have more satisfied customers who are likely to become return visitors and talk about you in a positive light in their communities. In turn, your business will perform better which will increase your success and growth.
Also, you will save money on development as you can target your spending exactly where it is needed. With streamlined functionality and improved user experience, you are able to reduce overall costs.
Comparison with Competitors
Obtaining critical details about the key success factors in your industry competitors will help inform you of how the leaders achieved their success. You will get insight into your own strengths and weaknesses to help you gain an edge towards success.
Web Force 5 has a team skilled in comprehensive UX design audits and we apply best practice for complete website solutions. Reach out to one of our specialists today for a no obligation chat.