Why is UX design important for a website?

Did you ever leave a website because you couldn’t find what you were looking for?
When a user leaves a website quickly, it increases the bounce rate, a very important metric for measuring the success or failure of a site. Several factors can cause a high bounce rate, and poor UX can be a key reason. Indeed, the UX design of a website is very important, and we will find out why here.

What is UX design?

UX stands for “user experience”, i.e. how someone interacts with a product, or in our case, a website. UX designers must make sure a website is easy to use, familiar, useful, accessible, attractive, and inspires trust. The aim is to offer a product that will provide users with a positive and useful experience.

 But fulfilling all these requirements and getting a product that is easy to use is not so simple.  UX design takes into account not only how users think, but how they feel too; because we are rational and emotional at the same time.And last but not least, UX should not be confused with UI, even though the two are very much related. Find out how to differentiate them with this Caweb Master’s article.

Signs of a bad UX design

Poor UX design has consequences for a website; we can detect this through various signs. One of them, which we have already mentioned, is a high bounce rate. Indeed, a poorly designed site can simply drive users away. But this bounce rate can also be studied more closely, for example by comparing visits on mobiles and desktops, to check whether you should rework the responsive aspect of your website.

Another important point is competitiveness. Check out your competitors’ websites because that’s what users will do. Do they look better constructed? More attractive? This is a sign that your UX design needs to be reworked!
Among the signs of a bad UX is another relevant metric, that of conversion. If your conversion rate is too low, whatever your goal is – subscription, sharing, sale – the UX design of your site must be questioned.

The benefits of a good UX

A good UX has many positive aspects, starting with avoiding the problems described above. Indeed, a good UX design means better conversion and more profit, but it will also help you save development costs and time. A well-designed site will be more likely to pass final tests, and users will also need less support, which will save you money.

A good UX design also confirms your trustworthiness to users and will benefit your brand image. People will be reassured and will be keen to return to your website.Finally, a good UX design is excellent for your SEO results. UX and SEO work together because search engines -including Google- take many criteria into account when indexing a site. User experience is one of them because even if you have very good content, it is also very important that the user can access it easily and navigate your site intuitively.

The UX design of a website is therefore an extremely important aspect. Consider it from the very beginning and adapt your product to the needs of your users. The benefits of a good UX are not to be neglected, and the consequences of a bad UX can be very harmful to the health of your website. It is a powerful tool, to be used wisely because if you lose sight of the user’s interest, you can fall into the trap of dark patterns. Always keep the user experience in mind and your projects will be successful. 

Want to know more about UX? Watch this interview with Aneth Thaumiaud, UX teacher for the CAWEB Master.