what does ux mean?
UX means User Experience. It is when you design something that is useful, easy-to-use and a pleasure to interact with. The experience of using the product or service is rewarding and there is value to be gained from the experience.
We can design for positive experiences if we design for the user in mind rather than just designing for a screen. One must really understand the end user and his/hers needs to be able to make the User Experience (UX) more memorable.
Get rid of unnecessary clutter
Get rid of unnecessary clutter, pop-up boxes, fussy layouts/fonts and make your website less busy, especially your landing page. Don’t make it difficult for the user to find the information that they are looking for. Are the action buttons easy to find? Are your contact details easy to access?
Aim for a clear consistent design
A clear, consistent design with lots of white space and some interactive elements make a great first impression. Each page of your website does not have to follow the same design. Come up with variations in layout to add variety and interest. But have some theme, be it colour or image running through the site to keep it uniform.
After your website has been launched, small design tweaks can be implemented. From time to time, think about the design of your website so that it is always pleasant to visit and easy to use. Changes can be made as your business develops. Website design is always evolving.
How much text?
Too much text can make your users yawn. But you will need some text on each page so that Google knows what your page is about and your customers can find you. Choose what message you want to convey and consider each sentence very carefully. Quality over quantity is most important. Choose the font for your website carefully. Our article on what is the best font for your website is a short yet useful read.
Use high quality visuals…
…that are relevant to the content. ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’. Try to have 70% visuals and 30% text on a page as a general rule. Consider adding video, infographics, diagrams, graphs and tables if relevant to the information you are displaying.
Using images and infographics to tell a story related to your service or product can rapidly increase visitor engagement. Use visual cues to draw focus. Remember to use cues sparingly so as not to clutter the page. Don’t forget to optimise your website images for a better user experience (UX).
Add interesting elements
Little fun elements like small animations add a touch of fun for the visitor. Google itself adds whimsical doodles that appear instead of the Google logo on specific days. Search for the word ‘askew’ and the screen will literally skew itself for you! Just be careful that the fun element does not interfere with the purpose of the site.
Your website will have an emotional impact on your audience so you must strive to create an experience rather that just pages of information. It takes just a few seconds for a visitor to decide how long to stay on your website! Surrey Web Studio create stylish yet affordable websites that strive to deliver a great UX (user experience).