Not everyone has the budget to hire every position they can think of when it comes to building their digital presence online.

This can be especially true for small business which means there is more compromise when it comes to prioritizing website needs. One thing that needs to be higher on the list, but often times is not, is user experience.

What Is User Experience?

"UX is your online customer service, and making sure your customer’s experience is a great one. It’s taking the time to get to the heart of what they’re looking for – and what they didn’t even know they wanted. It’s about providing a pleasant, convenient and efficient online experience that will hopefully turn that casual browser into a loyal customer." - Lindsey Weber

User experience is the customer's relationship with your website. What is their experience like? Though the term is broad, we can narrow it down to a few categories.

Usability

It may sound like common sense, but being able to even use a website is one of the first things to consider. Make sure you keep an eye out for broken links, images, and other glitches.

Responsive programming is becoming a common term even to those outside of the industry. It refers to your website's ability to give an optimal experience across different screen sizes and devices.

If your website is not mobile friendly, it may not be prioritized by Google meaning your customers may not even find you. Even if they do find you, 63% use a mobile device or tablet to browser the internet (34% solely use their smartphones) so they may become frustrated and leave a website that cannot be accessed properly. This may be one of the more common rules of usability that businesses break.

Information Architecture

"Information architecture is about helping people understand their surroundings and find what they’re looking for, in the real world as well as online. " -UX Booth

Not only does the information on your website need to be ordered logically, but it also needs to be easy to navigate from one page to another.

This may mean using simple words to describe page titles, writing for a general audience (8th grade reading level), and understanding your own target audience.

Visual Design

This idea is not just about making a website look sleek and modern, it is about defining who you want to communicate with and doing so. Colors, styles, and even fonts can create an atmosphere for a specific user.

Why It Matters

We covered some of the basics of user experience design, but what can it actually do for your business? Often times, it is easy to get wrapped up in personal tastes and forget about the actual web user.

Putting Your Users First

"Marketing is not about you, it’s about your customer. Small business owners that scream “me” instead of “you” are not going to be able to put themselves in their customer’s shoes. Remember, your product solves a problem, and the only thing that belongs to you is your product." - Walker Park Media

Focusing on user experience is not only helpful for web design but other aspects of digital and traditional advertising. Focusing on your target audience gives you a better idea of who you are speaking with and what solution you can provide.

It takes the emphasis off of the business owner, and puts it on the consumer.

Modern, Functional Design

Understanding what your users want also helps remove some of the bells and whistles that are easy to be blinded by at the start of a project. Your project does not need to have everything, and often times a budget cannot really accommodate all of the wants. Instead, answering questions such as "What does my audience what?", "Who am I speaking with?", and "How does my audience browse online?" can redistribute your budget to focus on the most important answers.