USING DATA TO PUT YOUR USERS FIRST
User Experience
We take user experience very seriously here at Theme Digital – after all, there’s no point sending hordes of visitors to a site that doesn’t work!
It’s something we always place front and centre when we’re designing a website, but we know that not everyone shares our desire for good UX. That’s why we’re more than happy to look at sites built elsewhere and suggest ways it can be enhanced.
User Experience
We take user experience very seriously here at Theme Digital – after all, there’s no point sending hordes of visitors to a site that doesn’t work!
It’s something we always place front and centre when we’re designing a website, but we know that not everyone shares our desire for good UX. That’s why we’re more than happy to look at sites built elsewhere and suggest ways it can be enhanced.
Why is User Experience important?
You’ll only get the most out of your site if your customers do. Making it easy for them to find the information they need, conforming to established best practices rather than unnecessarily complicating the journey, ensuring it’s accessible for people with visual impairments – all of these are key to a good user experience.
There’s no definitive answer to what makes a good user experience – it will change from site to site and user to user. But by starting with a clear picture of who will be using your site, and then monitoring how those uses interact with it, will help highlight what the answer is to you and your users.
Benefits of UX #1 – reduced cost
Investing in UX design upfront can significantly reduce costs down the line: doing the research before embarking on a web design project highlights possible usability issues or problems – and removing these at the start is far cheaper than dealing with it down the line. Working in an iterative manner, with the design reviewed at the end of each stage, may seem more expensive, it is better value in the long run.
Benefits of UX #2 – increased conversions
When looking for a product or service, we’re naturally drawn to the one that gives us the information in as clear and concise way as possible. The smoother our browsing process, and the less cognitive strain we need to exercise to find what we’re looking for, the more likely we are to be satisfied with that site. By making sure that describes your site, the more you’ll reap the rewards.
Benefits of UX #3 – SEO boost
Given that the Google aim to provide the best results possible, it makes sense that they would reward sites that have a proven track record of delighting users.
Benefits of UX #4 – increased brand loyalty
A site that provides a good user experience increases the odds that will buy from you the first time, come back to buy from you again, and tell others that they should check out your site as well. Brand loyalty and referrals are far more likely when you have a site that delights.
How can Theme Digital help me?
With a certified UX specialist as part of the team, user experience is at the forefront of our digital work regardless of the work being undertaken. From content audits through to constant improvement based on data and analytics, our work is always built around the principle that your site must be usable first and foremost.
Our success
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reduction in homepage bounce rate following a redesign - from 70% down to 32%
%
increase in demo bookings for SaaS provider following CRO
%
increase in job applications following new site launch
Thought for the day
If you solve the wrong UX problem, it doesn’t matter how well you solve it!
My site looks nice and is on-brand – why do I need to look at user experience?
Firstly, looking nice does not always correlate with performing well. Sometimes the fanciest sites out there have terrible conversion rates because they favour style over substance, while very simple sites have the sales rolling in because every user knows how to use them. Secondly, looking nice is a matter of opinion – and when it comes to your site, the only opinion that matters is that of your customers.
Is user testing expensive?
Not at all. While you can spend £1000s on fancy eye-tracking studies, 85% of a site’s issues can be uncovered by just 5 people. A well-worded user study can help reveal the main issues behind your sites performance for one-tenth of the pricier options.
Does UX only apply to my website?
No, it applies to anything people will interact with (even offline products!). So if you have an internally facing piece of software that may be hindering staff more than helping them, start investigating why.
INSIGHTS
Levelling up your UX maturity
We previously looked at UX maturity, what that looks like at different levels, and how you can enhance this in your own business. Here we look at the timescales you may have to expect at each level. Stage 1: A company can remain hostile toward usability for decades,...
How mature is your UX process?
So you're thinking about implementing a UX strategy at your company – whether it's through outsourcing all the work, getting an agency to audit your current site and train your team, or by recruiting a UX team directly. Before deciding which path to follow, or even if...
How fancy can my email really get?
When you think of email, even designed ones, you're probably still thinking of something pretty basic, where even putting a video header in makes it look flashy. While it's true that email has some way to go before it can do the same things as websites, there are some...
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