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"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." - Winston Churchill.
In today's digital world, a catchy headline or a great graphic may grab users' attention and lure them to your website or app. Still, the ultimate factor that determines whether they stay or leave is the user experience. However, sometimes the most noticeable aspects of user experience are the ones that need to be addressed, leading to a decrease in user engagement.
User experience (UX) is critical to any product or service, particularly in the digital age. With so much competition in the market, businesses must prioritise UX to differentiate themselves from their competitors and keep their customers engaged. But what makes great UX, and how can businesses create it?
Here are some rules for creating great UX that will increase user engagement and set your product apart from the competition:
1. Be Transparent About What's On Offer:
Users want to know what a product offers, but they also want to know what isn't offered. Many digital products need to be more transparent about what is not provided, which can lead to frustration and disappointment. To avoid this, be upfront about what your product offers and what it doesn't. Use a comparison table like N26 to showcase what is included in each package, making it easy for users to identify which option suits them best.
2. Make Your Designs Work for New Users and Veterans
New users of a product will have to go through a learning curve, whether it's steep or not. We often tailor products to these new users, forgetting about existing users. The most efficient way to tackle this is to use shortcuts catering to new and experienced users. For example, Google Chrome has a search bar that allows users to perform a search without visiting Google.com. This feature is an excellent accelerator that drastically speeds up the interaction for both new and veteran users.
3. Emphasise What's Happening, Where It's Happening
Users are busy and easily distracted, so it's important to draw their attention to what's happening on their screens. Animations can be an excellent way to discreetly point users towards what's happening while keeping them engaged. Use a single "send" button to tell the user what's going on through animation & messages.
4. Hide Unavailable Features
Some elements are only actionable under certain conditions. Hiding them reduces clutter and helps guide the user to the desired actions with fewer distractions. When these elements become available, they "pop" because of the UI change. AirBnB uses this in its filters. Once filters are applied, a clear button appears, making it simple yet effective.
5. Use Navigation to Help Digest Information
Sometimes we have to deal with a lot of information at once, making it difficult for users to navigate the page. While good information architecture eases the digestion of large chunks of information, it's also important to consider navigation. On their event page, AirBnB has a sticky menu with anchors to ease navigation on the page. Users seeking specific information won't have to scroll endlessly, they can jump directly to the relevant section.
6. Show Users What Actions They Can Take
Sometimes users may need clarification about what action they should take, or there is a feature that you want to showcase to your users. Non-universal acts can be showcased in a non-intrusive way, as with N26's money transfer function, which can be done by simply dragging from one box to another.
7. Avoid Dead Ends
Providing explicit error messages and helping users recover from said errors are two closely related but, sadly, separate issues. Implementing a fix for users is critical. TripAdvisor offers a solution when a user searches for reviews but comes up short by providing a link that offers to clear the search and take the user back to where they were.
8. Button Up Your Design
Larger, eye-catching buttons are a key element in successful design. They attract attention and encourage users to take action. Turning links and calls to action into buttons can improve engagement and conversions and make your message clearer. Just keep the buttons at an appropriate size, especially for mobile users.
9. Emotional Colouring for Better UX Engagement
Colours evoke different emotions in our brains. Neutral colouring in web design can be dull and unengaging. Instead, use emotional colouring to create a more appealing user experience. Align your colour scheme with your message and focus on background colours and fixed design elements. This creates a positive user experience and leads to higher engagement and conversions.
10. Boost UX with Faster Loading Times
Slow loading times can hinder user engagement and even turn users away from your website or app. Invest in better coding, use caching plugins, optimise graphics, and break down long-form content into multiple pages to improve performance. Consistently monitor and revise your design for smooth operation and healthy engagement levels. You can boost user experience and encourage further exploration by improving loading times.
11. The Importance of Fixing Broken Links
Broken links are a common problem on websites and apps, especially as they continue to grow. Not only are they frustrating for users, but they also provide a reason for them to leave and not return. The infamous 404 error page can be made more enjoyable with a fun or playful alternative. Monitoring your internal linking system can also help identify and fix broken links before they become a problem. By taking the time to fix broken links, you can improve the user experience and retain visitors to your site.
12. Simplify Navigation for Better User Engagement
Smooth navigation is essential for good user engagement. Anchor links make it easy for users to jump from one page to another and find the information they need. Tables of contents and an effective internal linking system can also simplify navigation. Streamline your design by removing elements that don't serve a functional purpose.
13. Enhancing UX with Better Visuals
To boost user engagement, focus on improving your visual presentation. Incorporate white space, use headlines and lists to guide the eye, and avoid overwhelming users with too much information at once. Minor design changes can make a big impact on improving UX.
In conclusion, the key to keeping users happy and engaged is to prioritise usability and accessibility. Users will naturally be drawn to your website or app by focusing on a smooth design and simple navigation. Remember to consider the impact of small improvements like larger buttons, functional links, and well-formatted content.
Additionally, removing any unnecessary design elements that distract users from the information you're trying to convey is important. Remember the mobile user experience, and avoid anything between the content and the user.
If you're seeking ways to improve your UX design and boost user engagement, we at Thence would love to help. With a decade-long experience across multiple industries, we can ensure that you are staying ahead of your competition.
