UX - driving conversations and conversions
Digital design used to mean having a good looking website which, when a web page loaded, it appeared pretty and interesting, hiding away elements that could otherwise detract from the overall aesthetics.
Fast forward to the millennial years and now design is more focused on getting the User Experience (UX) right as well as the overall creative. Why is this the case?
What makes a good website – one that is clear, fit for function and most of all concise and informative. Take for example the BBC website. When the homepage is loaded, you have a clear menu, split into category sections that allow the user to make a clear decision on where they want to go. Another great example is the Nike site. It contains a super navigation that allows the user to make decisions not just on major category areas, but clearly displays the subsection without having to go deep into the hierarchy.
Marketing is becoming more habitual, with social media being ‘king’ on smart devices. Customers are becoming more empowered and the relationship between brands and customers is continuously evolving.
But even in this age of engagement with ‘two-way’ conversations enabled by social, the reality is that the relationship brands had hoped to have with their customers on these networks versus the reality is still sometimes one-sided and not to the advantage of the end user.
Many businesses chose to go down the route of ‘presence’ in trendy and established channels but not defining meaningful strategies or outcomes for their audiences. Some are producing 'wins' on social, directing the user to their website, however often see the user drop off, highlighting a continued disconnect in how brands think they should interact with their audiences in contrast to what customers are actually looking for.
Many websites still contain phantom UX errors providing a huge drop off rate and lesser conversions. These include menu navigations that need to be followed or else they disappear to not having a visible search bar or even worse no search bar at all.
Simply stated, businesses are underestimating the significance of customer experiences. As connected technology and comms platforms mature beyond a luxury and into an everyday utility, consumer expectations only inflate.
As a result, functionality, connectedness, and experiences emerge as the draw for attention. For brands to compete for share of voice, it now takes something greater than simple presence on the right channels. UX is now becoming a critical area of consideration in customer engagement in order to ensure fluid user journeys between online channels in order to deliver business outcomes in the form of conversations and conversions.
Builders.
