4 Tips for Creating a Smooth User Journey on Any Website
The user journey is the path through which users navigate a website to achieve a desired outcome. From finding information to completing a specific task, the layout of a website affects the user’s “flow.”
Examining the steps a user must take in any given process allows product managers and UX designers to define the most efficient way to facilitate their users needs.
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Why Optimize the User Journey?
A user journey does not occur by accident. If the user journey is attended to, cared for, and mapped out thoughtfully, users can be more productive, and companies can ensure targeted outcomes.
Tweaking certain factors and layout decisions such as design, color choices, outline, and navigation tools can subconsciously lead the user down a series of actions — whether to drive conversion or to aid task completion. The more structured and intentional the website design, the more enjoyable the user journey and the better chance for positive outcome for both parties involved.
How Can Organizations Design the Ultimate User Journey?
For the website proprietor, it is crucial to tune into users’ experiences and goals in order to connect, sell and keep them coming back. The user journey, positive or negative, will determine future engagement with your company.
Know Your Users
To begin, first identify your audience — who are they and what are they seeking from your site? Then match user desires to what you would most like to offer and sell. When developing your website, keywords and products should be featured or, at the very least, easy to navigate toward through a minimum amount of clicks.
Direct User Attention Through Placement, Contrast, and Color
Optimizing the user journey requires prioritization of your company’s most unique and profitable selling points and deciding how to highlight them in terms of color, design and navigation. These decisions should always be in sync with customer knowledge.
When designing a website’s UX, ask: what is the most friendly, attractive and efficient way to get what I want in front of my buyer? What pops up first, in bold and central to the eye influences the direction your user takes while they search, so prioritize what it is that needs primary attention on your site.
Define Website Vision and Structure
Finally, give some thought to the big picture. Then stay true to that vision as you update your site and gain knowledge about what speaks to your most loyal users. Correctly structuring your website menu ensures that regardless of UI choices, the “bones” reflect your offering, and users can easily find anything they need. Consistency, connection to the customer and overall ease while browsing will allow both sides to enjoy a positive user journey.
Empower User Goals
Whether surfing an eCommerce store or engaging in an online community, users go to the web with some sort of goal or intention in mind. The steps and clicks they take depend on what is offered to them. Ideally, the user can find a meeting point between their browsing goals and the website layout they encounter on your site. Ultimately, if the user goal is highlighted front and center, it will lead to more engagement, conversions, and retention.
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