As an important success factor in the corporate context, UX is a central component of web development.
Definition: What is the User Experience (UX)?
According to the definition, the so-called user experience refers to all impressions and sensations that a person has when using a particular product. In online marketing, the term refers primarily to the design of websites, including the quality of content and the implementation of responsive web design.
But: what exactly is the user experience? In general, user experience refers to all interactions and touch points that potential customers have with a product or a company. Therefore, the UX also includes the expectations and perceptions after use or purchase. The UX of a website includes, for example:
- Web design: it should be understandable and self-explanatory.
- Navigation: Navigation on websites should also be clearly structured and intuitive – even on mobile devices.
- Emotions: The feelings of a customer when visiting the website can hardly be measured, but they are also part of the user experience.
- Usability: The usability of websites, products or services is a central aspect of UX.
User Experience vs. Usability: Explanation of Terms
Although the terms usability and user experience are very similar, they mean different things. The devil is in the details here. Below, we’ll go into more detail about the terms that are important in the context of user experience.
Usability
Usability indicates how user-friendly an application or website is designed to be. Good usability can be recognized, for example, by simple and intuitive navigation. Users can quickly and easily find their way around the website and quickly find what they are looking for. Usability tests can help uncover problems and improve the user-friendliness of the website.
Utility (usefulness)
Utility describes whether and how helpful a website is for the visitor. The quality of the content plays a decisive role here.
User Interface
The user interface is what the user sees, for example in the form of a website.
User Experience
User experience refers to the user’s overall experience when using a website or application. A good user experience takes into account the needs and expectations of the visitor and strives to create a positive experience. This includes aspects such as visual design, language, aesthetics, and context. A website with good UX is attractively designed, easy to understand, and provides a pleasant user experience. Usability or utility and the user interface can significantly influence the user experience.
User Experience: An often underestimated success factor
One example of successful UX design is the Google homepage. Although – or precisely because – it is kept simple, it exactly meets the needs of the user. Less is often more!
This simplicity is also reflected in the UX strategies of a web development agency. The goal is to make potential buyers feel completely comfortable on the website. What the technical specifications look like in the backend, on the other hand, is irrelevant to customers.
Important: The user experience has a significant influence on the success of a company. It should therefore not be neglected under any circumstances.
Principles: How can you recognize a good user experience design?
No matter whether TYPO3 or WordPress: For an excellent user experience, there are certain rules that companies should follow. While experiences are always subjective, certain best practices have proven themselves:
- Position: the first and last positions in a series are best remembered by people. That’s why a professional online marketing agency also places important information at the top or bottom – whether in the navigation menu or on the website itself.
- Arrangement: All objects that belong to a group are also positioned close to each other by an experienced digital marketing agency. The reason for this is that people perceive nearby objects as a group. Recognizing this togetherness at first glance improves the overall UX.
- Structure: a good UX design avoids groupings of nine or more objects. The reason for this is “Miller’s Law“. This states that our short-term memory cannot store more than seven (+/- two) objects at once.
How to measure user experience
In order to measure the user experience, various key figures can be recorded and then interpreted.
- Conversion rate: The conversion rate can be used to draw conclusions about how many site visitors are really interested in the products/services and the content provided on the website. A high CR therefore indicates a good UX. In addition, this key figure stands for good usability.
- Traffic rate: Lead generation and traffic rate are also interesting when it comes to measuring the UX. Among other things, both provide information about how good the search engine optimization (SEO) of the page is. If this KPI is too low, cooperation with an SEO agency is recommended.
- Dwell time: The longer potential customers stay on the website, the greater their interest. In addition, this factor provides information about the UX. After all, the online offer is large. If visitors were dissatisfied with the UX and usability, they would bounce faster.
Conclusion
An excellent UX contributes significantly to the success of a company or brand. Therefore, optimizing the UX is an essential part of programming and web design. The easiest way to achieve this is in cooperation with a professional online marketing agency.
As experts in web development and web design, we at ONELINE stand by our partners with advice and support. Together we do everything to improve the user experience of their customers.
