Online marketing has moved beyond search engine optimization (SEO); changes in Google’s algorithm are now emphasizing the importance of user experience (UX) in digital marketing. This means that business owners now have to prioritize the UX on their website to improve their ranking in Google search results. A good user experience has always dictated how people perceive your website, and now it also dictates whether they will perceive it at all. Reports state that 88% of visitors do not return to a site if they’ve had a bad user experience there before.
UX, short for user experience, doesn’t have a clear definition, though most agree that UX is the design of a site’s interface – is it easy to use, functional, and interactive? Simply put, UX adds quality to a visitor’s stay at your domain. It involves a variety of factors such as branding, design, function, utility, and communication.
To improve the user experience of your website, you need to give users exactly what they want. To do this, you have to consider the totality of involvement from the moment they click on your site up until they close the tab.
Digital marketing and UX are two important elements of a successful business, but what separates one from the other?
Digital marketing is purchase and revenue-oriented. The goal of this approach is to make the product or service more appealing to the end-user. User experience, however, is use-oriented; the focus is to find out what the searcher needs or is looking for and to create an interaction that answers those needs. In a way, you need UX in order to arrive at successful digital marketing.
Beyond simply figuring out user needs, UX also includes problem-solving. With UX, you can figure out specific client problems and make a connection between the problem and the solution. In effect, you’re highlighting a problem and presenting your product or service as the possible answer to it.
Both digital marketing and UX are crucial if you want to stand out from the competition. Of the two, however, it makes sense to first focus on UX. Doing so gives you the information you need to create an effective digital marketing campaign.
If done correctly, user experience can have a positive impact on a business. Beyond just making your customers feel better with each visit, good UX can impact the following:
Good UX places your customer in a position of trust. If they can quickly navigate and understand your offerings with ease, they can quickly make decisions about the product. This translates to higher conversion rates from customers, as they will feel more confident in their choice.
User experience typically has a gently persuasive effect on customers. Through a positive UX, you can gently nudge visitors in the right direction. From here, they have the freedom to find out more information about your product and then make the jump towards sales.
UX is all about creating a seamless interaction between your business and the customer. It involves providing them with the answers they need even before they ask the question. This puts the customer at ease and makes them feel “heard” during their domain visit. Accordingly, a seamless user experience can increase user satisfaction and with satisfied customers, you’ll can observe an 83% increase in KPIs for conversion lift, better ROI, increased revenue, and higher rates of repeat clients.
Good user experience can also make your domain more visible in search engine rankings. This has been the consensus after Google’s algorithm changes placed greater importance on how users experienced their time on the platform. While the experience itself may not be measurable, Google uses a variety of factors to make the calculation.
For example, they can use the time spent on each page, the period spent on the website itself, and the clicks made on the site. If Google’s algorithm finds positive interaction with the business domain, this adds to their ranking for relevant keywords.
More and more people are accessing websites through their phones, and around 80% of mobile users purchase their products from domains with mobile-friendly web designs or apps. Others report that they feel frustrated when accessing a domain that doesn’t adjust to their devices.
A UX design takes all devices into consideration when building a website. If done correctly, you’ll be able to adjust to the clients’ needs and expand conversion rate.
Here at Connection Model, we make every effort to provide you with measurable results for your digital marketing goals. We’re a nimble digital marketing agency committed to helping businesses improve their user experience and digital marketing. Using white-hat techniques, we focus on critical aspects like web development, SEO, user experience, and content marketing to bring your domain to the forefront of Google searches. We are a results-driven team with years of successful experience in online marketing; contact us today for a consultation or visit our website for more information about what we can do for you!