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If you’re a web designer or have done research into improving your website design, then chances are you’ll have heard the term user experience (UX).
At by Crawford, my team and I have shaped millions of individual user experiences for clients all around the world. In this article I’ll walk you through exactly what UX is and why it’s so important, as well as going through the principles and elements you need to include in your website builds to ensure visitors have the best possible experience on your website.
What is user experience?
User experience is exactly what it says on the tin. It refers to how a user experiences your product. In the context of this article, we’ll focus on how they experience your website.
And what does experience actually mean in this instance? The answer again, is pretty straightforward. Ask yourself:
Is my website easy to interact with?
Is the journey clear for the user?
Can they access what they need efficiently and with as little friction as possible?
If the answer to all of the above is yes, then your site likely has good UX. If not, then there are improvements we can make. There are myriad things you can do to make a website easier to use for visitors, as well as making it an enjoyable place for them to spend time. The more time someone spends on your website, the more likely they are to explore your content, subscribe, or become a customer.
UX vs. UI
UX and UI (user interface) are often mistaken for the same thing as they are almost always referenced as a pair. To make it as simple as possible, let’s quickly break down the key difference.
UX explores how a user feels when they navigate your website, whereas UI refers to what the user actually sees and interacts with; for example buttons, form fields, and pop-ups.
Think of it like this: UI comprises the elements on the page. UX is how those elements make a user feel and what they add to their journey on your site. So, a pop-up that makes it difficult to find the exit button has poor UI, which creates frustrating UX by prolonging the interruption to someone’s browsing experience.
Core elements of user experience
There are several principles to consider when working to foster a great user experience for website visitors. Start by focusing on usability, accessibility, and overall satisfaction.
Facilité d’utilisation
One of the first steps to creating a seamless UX is to ensure the usability of your website is as good as it can be. After all, if a user can’t properly interact with your website, their experience is over before it’s even begun.
The concept of your website could be amazing, but if it’s too complex, frustrating, or difficult to use, then you’re failing to deliver great UX.
A lot of this is as simple as asking yourself some core questions about your website.
Do all of the links work in your navigation, body text, and buttons?
Is there ample contrast between page elements?
Are there clear visual cues when visitors hover and click?
Does the hierarchy of the page actually make sense? Do you make use of header (H1, H2, etc.) tags in an organized way? Does it follow a clear organizational structure?
If you’re able to perfect these foundations, your site’s users will thank you.
Accessibilité
We all know how important it is for our websites and products to be accessible to a diverse range of abilities and audiences.
A well thought out UX ensures that all users can navigate and interact with your website seamlessly. This flows in the same vein as usability; ensuring proper contrast between elements (no overlapping, complementary colors), clear navigation, and a structured page hierarchy.
Other things to consider are the size of your text, correct alt text for imagery, the use of plain language and ensuring all elements are labelled clearly. For example, your links should not say “click here,” they should describe what the click will do, such as “Get a Quote”. This creates a better experience for people using screen readers.
See 5 ways to make your website more accessible
Satisfaction
UX is all about the feel, and one of the most important feelings you want visitors to experience is satisfaction. Does your website design provide a user with everything they were looking for? Are they satisfied with the result of their time on your site?
Great UX goes beyond function and creates a connection with users, evoking positive emotions and affinity with your product, service, or website content. Whatever it is that you’re building, UX is at its core. Your website needs to be not only easy to access and use, but also enjoyable, engaging, and rewarding.
Why UX matters for brands
Good UX matters for brands because it directly impacts user satisfaction and thus your business’ reputation. An enjoyable experience will help to boost conversions, strengthen brand loyalty, and drive long-term growth.
If a user enjoys the time they spend on your website, as opposed to finding it frustrating, it helps to create a positive opinion of your overall brand—even if they don’t consciously take note of it. It also means someone is more likely to return to your website over the long term.
A poorly designed user experience actively drives visitors away, leading them towards competitors who have taken the time to craft their site with care and attention.
How to improve user experience
So how can you improve the user experience of your website? Focus on what will make your website more pleasant to visit and navigate.
Understand your users. Conduct user research and identify what they want from your website as well as their pain points and desires. This can be as simple as asking friends to browse and note anything that makes your site harder to use.
Simplify navigation. Make it easy for a user to move through your website with clear and intuitive menu items. Reduce the amount of steps it takes for a user to get to where they want. By reducing friction, you can maximize the amount of on-site conversions.
Ensure your website is accessible to all. Understanding some basic accessibility best practices means more people can browse your website and learn about your brand.
Optimize performance and speed. Ensure fast loading times and minimize elements that slow down interactions, e.g. cumbersome code and large media files.
Focus on mobile. Ensure your design is responsive to make the mobile experience of your website seamless. This is especially important, as more than half of website traffic is now mobile-based.
Test and iterate. Use testing to figure out which designs work best for your users. Use real-life insights to inform your design decisions.
To apply some of these principles when building on Squarespace, you can use features like a search block and archive block to allow visitors to quickly scan for what they need in an instant to improve usability and satisfaction.
You can also make use of a portfolio collection to show off your best work. This is a personal favorite at by Crawford, where we show potential clients a curated collection of our very best case studies. This helps them quickly understand your brand better, leading to better satisfaction overall. You can use a portfolio across a broad spectrum of industries, like real estate, theater, or events, in addition to visual or artistic work.
After working on over 450 Squarespace websites, I’ve seen first hand how creating a seamless, intuitive, and enjoyable experience that meets user needs leads to huge positive change within a business. Squarespace puts UX at the heart of every website out of the box, so you can create websites that spark joy, encourage engagement, and drive conversions.