Marketers who leave the user-experience design process to chance run the risk of alienating consumers and losing their competitive advantage
Creating meaningful, relevant experiences for users is at the core of any UX designer’s mission. The product being sold must meet the consumer’s needs, but the overall experience should be accessible, efficient and pleasurable, too. But far too often, organizations are losing valuable customers by putting little care or effort into their UX design. Desktop websites can be cumbersome and overwhelming, or mobile apps can be unresponsive or display poorly on devices.
If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, users are five times more likely to abandon the task, according to a study by Adobe. And 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a website after a bad user experience, according to a report from UX School. Information overload, unlabeled links, a lack of calls to action and slow load times are some of the many off-putting elements of bad UX design that keep users away. Marketers should take note by prioritizing performance, seamlessly integrating user data and favoring simplicity in design.
First impressions count; users’ brains are wired to make judgements about visuals within seconds. If you’re not doing enough to instantly grab their attention, they’ve already moved on to a competitor. In fact, 79% of users who don’t find what they’re looking for on one website will move on to others, according to a study from Google, conducted by Sterling Research and SmithGeiger. Poor user experience design can taint your credibility, but good design can generate leads and build brand recognition.
What’s your next move?
Illustration by Roger Schillerstrom
Julian Zeng is omni-channel content manager at the American Marketing Association. He may be reached at jzeng@ama.org.