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UI Design Web Design

7 Handy Tips To Improve Your Website Design

It is a known fact that today’s business is conducted online. From shopping to marketing, to communicating with providers, people depend on the Internet to help them perform everyday tasks. Without a website, businesses, blogs, and brands can’t be successful. That’s the reason why everyone is on the internet today. With millions of websites, it becomes extremely challenging to stand out from the crowd. A website usually has 4-5 secs to create an impression on visitors; that’s very little time. Therefore, website designers must ensure that they create a website design that ensures a delightful, user-friendly experience.

We often talk about the latest design trends, user experience enhancement, interface enhancement, and a lot of other things. The idea is always to keep improving the website experience by offering the best. However, a lot of times, we tend to forget some basic actions which can elevate the website design and experience to a whole new level. Here are a few tips.

Use White Space

First things first – Whitespace doesn’t mean a lot of white color, its the way designers term the empty space or negative space. Research and studies suggest that the use of white space in the left and right margins, and in between paragraphs, increases reader comprehension by almost 20 percent. Adding white space means more user interaction, the page looks better, and you can highlight your CTAs with more ease if you have enough white space to go around. It balances the visual elements by creating a visual hierarchy. Whitespace increases content legibility and acts as a separator.

Optimize The Page Speed

Website speed has long been discussed in the world of marketing, and it’s one of the main reasons why a lot of visitors bounce off from certain websites. People are impatient on the internet. They don’t like to wait and expect instant responses to their queries. If your website doesn’t load within a few seconds, to be honest, 2-3 seconds at the max, the visitors will most likely bounce off looking for other options. 

You can check your page load speed through a Google-free service, where you can get information on your page speed. Google will also offer you some suggestions for improving your page load time on Mobile and Desktop. 

To improve your page speed, start by compressing all your images before loading them onto your website. The image file size is one of the leading causes of a slow page speed — using websites like compressor.io can help you dramatically speed up each webpage you own. There are several ways to optimize page speed.

Create a Responsive Website Design

With the revolutionary advancement of mobile and other devices, your website is most likely to be accessed from devices other than PCs and laptops. It’s critical that your website is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate no matter what type of device your audience uses to access it. 

Google started penalizing sites that aren’t optimized for mobile devices from 2015, making the need for responsiveness even more crucial. This is probably the most valuable way to improve your website’s usability. A responsive design will do wonders for your website in terms of SEO and will help you position yourself higher in SERPs. So, create a mobile version of your website, use mobile plugins, and convert your website into a Responsive Web Design (RWD).

Make a Clear Call To Action

Some interesting facts – SAP found that orange CTA buttons boost conversion rates by 32.5%, while Performable found that red CTA buttons boost rates by a whole 21%. In creating buttons for your website you should think about color and the psychology of color. Different colors evoke different messages. Think about the message that you want to evoke for a user (trust, experience, intelligence) and choose your colors wisely. 

A second thing to consider is the actual words you use for your buttons. The words should include a verb or an action word that excites the user to do something. Use actionable words in them such as discover, start, learn, etc. Calls to actions (CTAs), clearly marked with an action word enable your website users to more easily navigate your site and get exactly what they want in the location they expect to find it.  

Utilize Social Media To The Fullest

22 percent of the world’s population is on Facebook, Instagram has 800 million active monthly users, Linkedin has more than 540 million user profiles, and Twitter has 100 million daily active users. These figures are staggering, which is why it’s important for your website to offer social buttons to your visitors. There’s a chance that they will like what they see, share their thoughts on their profiles, and boost your presence even further. 

Any website improvement ideas should involve taking advantage of social sharing and social following. Social sharing options are a fantastic way to improve website design. Use social media icons of different social media sites to allow users to share your content. The idea is to get guests to share your content when they like what they read. Sharing content puts it out for everyone else to see without you having to do any work. This will allow your website to become more popular and gain site visitors that would have never known about you otherwise.

Use Eye-Catching Images In Website Design

People across the Internet are getting smarter and faster at judging company websites before deciding if they want to browse the site further. When they first visit your site, they can easily pick out a generic stock photo they’ve already seen elsewhere or that resembles the non-personal style of stock photography. Using stock photography can decrease trust and also stand out as generic and non-unique.

With an audience that only has an attention span of 5-6 seconds, you need to create a lasting first impression that easily gets the main points across. This should be done with short, powerful sections of content and applicable photographs/icons that are sectioned off by clear and concise headers.

Website design is the foundation of user experience and needs constant attention and improvement. Are you looking to revamp your website? Or, need help in deloping your website from scratch? Talk to our experts now!

Categories
Brand & Identity UX Web Design

Boost Your Conversion Rate With These UX Basics

The expectations of users over the web and mobile apps has risen exponentially. A vast majority of users are unlikely to return to a website after one bad experience. There’s massive importance of user experience in website design – UX Basics, and the conversion rate of any website is directly proportional to how good is its user experience.

User experience (UX) is the wholesome experience a visitor has on a website or in a mobile app. It is a complete compilation of various small interactions knitted together, producing positive or negative feelings about the website and the brand. It’s not just a single design element or layout that defines the experience. The connection that visitors feel and the experience they receive on a website, as a result of the UX design, directly impacts consumer retention, brand identity, and the business as a whole.

A research conducted by Stanford University suggested that over 46 percent of consumers consider website design as an indicator of credibility. The fact is crucial for brands to secure existing users and captivate new consumers.

The following three UX design tips will help you improve your UX Basics, increase conversions and revenue, and will boost your business.

1. Branding must be consistent

There have been ample studies conducted to study the correlation between consistent branding and revenue. These studies suggest that consistent branding can boost revenue by a substantial amount. Moreover, a connected visual identity across all the platforms and devices, including the website, will help in creating a brand that consumers love to engage with. If users enjoy engaging with your brand, they will come back to you, again and again.

This cohesive visual identity(UX Basics) is pretty simple to reproduce. The top website designs use a recognizable color palette, consistent typography, imagery that provides value and information, and ingenious branding on every page of the website. The consistency in branding creates a balanced environment that allows your users to look for, and find, the products or information they seek; that too, without diverting their attention or confusing them. Users are aware of where they are, what to expect, and they can determine what they wish to do.

Amazon is an excellent example of consistent branding and a delightful user experience design. The modern yet simple logo design and an easy-to-use website add to the user-friendliness of the website and its mobile app. Users can quickly search, easily access their profile and cart, and quickly find their way back to the homepage, in case they go too deep into the thousands of pages on the website. 

Read More about tips to boost your brand

This simple, consumer-centric, clean design is branded in its messaging too. Every piece of Amazon’s marketing collateral, from commercials to social media posts to banner ads, speak the same language. 

UX Basics - Amazon - 1
UX Basics - Amazon - 2

2. Use clear and precise calls to action

If you want something to happen, you need to take action and go for it. It is only one part of the user journey to get them on your website. Many users won’t have a clue of the action you want them to take until you make it crystal clear to them. You should use distinct, clear and precise calls to actions (CTAs) with direct language.

Follow these UX Basics to maximize the UX design and the effectiveness of a CTA button:

  • Use large and fully clickable buttons. Don’t just depend on the text within the button
  • Write clear, easy to understand copy. It can be witty and playful at times, but most importantly, users should immediately understand the action. 
  • Include a verb or an urgent adjective. 
  • Keep the whole CTA short and sweet.
  • The font itself should be readable and large.
  • Avoid playing with any trendy, swirling fonts. Stick to straightforward sans-serif typography.
  • Ensure the call to action stands out. Stick to your color palette and use a hue or unique shape so that the action stands out.
  • Include small complementary design elements, such as an arrow or a shopping cart if it is in line with.
  • Utilize white space to allow the messages to breathe.

Read More about designing your CTA Buttons

3. Be user-centric, not designers-centric

Remember that the consumers will be using your website and not the designers. Therefore, before adding any features or implementing any changes, designers should first walk through what that means for the user experience and customer journey.

After you conduct consumer research, you and your team will better understand the features. You can segregate the features into two categories. The ones that are most important for users and the ones that are less important. no matter how aesthetically appealing they may be.

Finally, once you design any UX design improvement, take the time to A/B test it. A/B testing of the new feature will ensure that it is functional and leads to better conversions. Studies show that most companies discover the best conversion rate optimization through A/B testing as opposed to total implementation.

Ultimately, investing in user experience design will provide a strong return on investment down the road. Want to increase the user experience of your website? Need help to improve conversion rate and revenue? Talk to our design experts.

Categories
Blog Brand & Identity SEO Technology UX

5 Tips To Select The Right Button Labels

Designing a website is not just about making it look visually appealing; there’s a lot more to it. One of the most critical aspects of developing a successful website is to give due importance to the copy and button labels. What your buttons say is as vital as they look. No matter how pretty and attractive your buttons look, if you choose incorrect words to describe them, it may all go wrong.

Incorrect button labels can confuse the users, making it hard for them to take the desired actions. It also reduces the speed at which the actions are performed. If you wish to simplify the process of taking actions on your app, you need to choose the right words on your button labels. So how do you do that? Here are some pro tips to get your words right.

1. Use Action Verbs Instead Of Simple Words

The one thing that you want your buttons to do is encouraging users to take actions. Thus, button labels should be inspiring, and action words are the best for the same. An action verb on a button makes users aware of the action which will be performed upon clicking on it. There’s no need for additional text along with an action verb to guide the user.

Let’s take an example of generic “yes/no” button labels, which are often used on confirmation screens. Users have to read the dialogue before they can take action. They can’t take action without reading the message, and there’s every possibility that they press the wrong button. If the button label is replaced by an action verb like ‘save’ instead of ‘yes’, the user clearly gets the action message without any supporting information. It saves time and allows them to make quick, correct actions.

2. Use Clear Verbiage in Button Labels

Each action verb you use has a specific connotation. If your verbiage is unclear or isn’t precise, you may confuse users about the real action attached to the button. For example, the words ‘delete’ and ‘remove’ are very close in their meanings, but different in their intentions. ‘Delete’ implies the item will be erased completely from the system or the memory. On the other hand, ‘remove’ means that the button will separate the item from a particular group. Using these words in the wrong context can make the users press the button to initiate an action they don’t want.

Another example could be of a playlist of songs, using ‘delete’ instead of ‘remove’ is incorrect. The ‘delete’ label makes the users think that the song will be erased completely, from the system memory as well, whereas that’s not the case. The song will be removed from a particular group of songs. That’s why ‘remove’ is the more apt and correct label.

Read More About Designing The CTA Buttons: Tips To Design Buttons on a Site

3. Language Must Be Task-specific

Button labels must be clear, precise and specific. A vague and generic button label causes uncertainty and users feel unsure of the actions that they are about to take. They don’t have a clear idea about what the button will do, because the words used on the label are not specific. Using a task-specific language ensures that the users are aware of the results of their actions.

For example, the word “submit” and the word “publish” may seem to perform the same action. However, ‘submit’ is a commonly used, generic, technical term. But if you wish to make the button more specific, you should use a word about the actual result of the action.

Like ‘publish’ is a specific button label with regards to online publishing. ‘Submit’ can also work very well here, but ‘publish’ informs the user explicitly that the item will not only be submitted but would be broadcasted too. This button label is more precise and gives users certainty to act.

4. Use Active Imperative Form

You should aim to use as fewer words on a button label as you can. More words make users read more, which slows down the action process. Use of imperative form in an active voice minimizes the number of words, and the button label becomes more natural to scan.

The active imperative form turns verb phrases into commands. The subject and unnecessary articles can be dropped off using the active imperative form, to get a concise button label. All you need to include on your button label is a verb with an adverb or direct object.

Users trust and understand commands on button labels. It gives them certainty and clarity about the intended action, which aids their decision-making. Let’s take an example of “click here for more details” in a button label. The label is too wordy, and it’s also redundant for the user. Instead, use verbs that are unique, describe the action and provoke users to click. ‘Read details’ is a suitable replacement for the label mentioned above. 

5. Button Labels Should Be In Sentence-case

The capitalization style of your button label expresses your tone to users. It’s more about how you’re saying it, rather than what you’re saying. The tone of your message and interaction with users creates an emotional reaction in users. This reaction will either repel them or motivate them to engage with you actively.

The perks of a sentence-style capitalization are many. It conveys a friendly tone, comforts the users, and invites them to press the button. Most of the reading done by humans is in sentence case. They are familiar with it, so when they read it on your buttons, they feel like someone is really speaking to them, in a natural voice. 

Title case breaks the natural reading flow and distracts users from the underlying message. Additionally, unnecessary capitalization is considered rude in some cultures, hence giving you more reasons to avoid it. 

The call to action buttons is imperative for the success of your website. Words on your button labels play a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of the CTAs. If you choose the wrong words on your button labels, the call to action won’t matter. Want to get more action on your buttons? Talk to our design champs now!

Categories
UX

5 UX Trends and Mobile Designs To Boost Conversions In 2017

With great hopes and expectations, we warmly welcomed 2017. Every year is an opportunity to explore new realms in the sphere of technology and innovation. A lot of new design trends will swamp the designers this year as well. As a designer, it is a merry situation with so many options available at disposal. But, will any of these trends have a meaningful impact on the overall user experience and conversions. In this article, we will cover 5 UX trends and mobile designs which will ensure a better conversion in 2017.

1. Age Responsive Design

Let’s face it. You can’t serve the same dish to everyone. Audience from different age group will react differently to different content, layouts and aesthetics. With an availability of new kind of metadatas you can tweak the user experience based on their perceived age. It raises your chances to connect with your audience when and where it counts the most.

2. Shopping Cart Marketing

Did you know? Upsells and cross-sells are responsible for up to 30% of the overall eCommerce revenues. It is almost 10 times difficult to sell to a new customer as compared to converting a sale by upselling to an existing customer. By providing bundled offers, cross-sell offers and upselling options during checkout you can substantially increase your revenues.

3. Lively Call-To-Action Buttons

The CTA button is the star of any web page. It needs to be always placed at the best position on the web page. But that’s not all about it. By adding a slight animation to the button you can instantly draw attention. Having said that, avoid doing something over the top fancy. Subtle movements every few seconds works well and are highly recommended.

4. Persuader NOT Explainer Videos

Animated explanatory videos were the IN thing a few years ago. But its heydey is more than over and videos showcasing real people have made its way. By using real people in your videos you create a sense of authenticity. With the use of customer testimonials and product demos, you can easily overcome all sorts of customer apprehensions, objections and successfully close the sale.

5. Value Based Exit Overlays

We all can admit that when we’re ready to leave a site, and a pop-up appears on the screen, it’s really annoying at times. You are not in any mood to fill out a form and leave your details like email address, phone number etc. Unless you’re Really Really interested. How about an exciting bonus? A discount, freebies, free shipping, or any other gift will definitely grab your attention. Provided it has no catch to get you signed up for future marketing. These kind of offers are highly attractive and increase conversions.

Plenty of other design tricks and UX trends are bound to rule the charts in 2017. It’s not important just to know these trends, but to understand how these tricks and trends can be fit into your design structure to boost your conversions. Contact our design experts today and start a path-breaking discussion.