From booking hotel accommodations to deciding where to eat for dinner tonight, the decision-making process of our time happens online. We’ve all reviewed countless businesses’ websites and become connoisseurs of what’s good and what’s not—this, of course, largely evidenced by the providers we’ve chosen.
There are always ways to improve the user experience of your website and thinking of them often will ensure your customers are happy with your service. Your customer is everything, which is why in this post, we’ll delve into three ways to enhance your website with the user in mind.
Know Your Website’s Main Call-to-Action (CTA)
Upon arriving on your website, what’s the most important action that you want your customer to take? Are there any preliminary conversion points along the way?
Let’s say you’re a new Thai restaurant in town. You know that your business has a short buyer’s cycle and arriving at a sale typically takes less consideration then say, buying a car. Your end goal is for the user to find your phone number to make a reservation or place an order for takeout. In order to do that, many viewers will want to see your menu first.
In this case, having your phone number in prominent type on your home page is great, but making your menu readily available to view online will make your site even better and help you capture more calls.
Eliminate Friction Points
There are few things more frustrating than obstacles preventing you from getting to the information you need.
Make sure that your most important information isn’t buried deep in the navigation of your website, or that you aren’t asking visitors for more contact information than is warranted. Test pop-up ads carefully to see if they work for your unique industry and business.
For a larger-commitment purchase, don’t lock gated offers up so tight. Downloading an eBook or a case study shouldn’t require inputting personal info like a phone number or address, which can hinder viewers from taking the next step.
Streamline & simplify. An infographic by QuickSprout.com cites that too much information on a page sends 62% of online searchers to look elsewhere for a good or service online.
Design Your Site Mobile-First
Have you ever been browsing a website on your phone just to instantly hop off? The buttons were too big, the text was tiny, and you weren’t even sure what and where to click.
The last decade has brought the rise of the smartphone, and with it, a steady uptick in online shopping orders conducted using a smartphone over desktop browsing. An article from CNBC reports that of the $6.22 billion in online sales made on Black Friday, 2018, a record $2 billion of those purchases were made from smartphones, about one third of all online purchases.
What does this all mean for your website? Whether the entire buying cycle for your product/service is completed via mobile or just part of the research process, having a site that’s easy to use on mobile will help prevent potential customers from going elsewhere.
Improve Your Website Today
If you’re not sure where your website stands, you can glean a lot of insight by stepping into the shoes of your target customer. If it’s been a while since you’ve given your company’s website some TLC, even better yet, have a professional take a look.
Our web, technical, and creative teams here at Stream Companies have the experience and tools you need to elevate your site’s user experience. We’ll sit down with you to create a new site structure that suits your customers’ unique buying cycle and bring it all to life in a sleek, cutting-edge, responsive design.
Check out some of our website redesign projects here and get in touch with us today!