Having a good website is imperative to success because 88% of online shoppers will not return to a site after a bad experience. Shopping is not based on proximity anymore; instead, it is based on easy to use and reliable websites. When it comes to attracting customers to your website, it is crucial to understand UI and UE.

UI is shorthand for User Interface. UI includes the tangible aspects of your website. Images, redirects, contact information all fall under User Interface.

UE is shorthand for User Experience (Sometimes abbreviated as UX). UE represents how a customer feels when using your site, how easy it is for them to find what they are looking for, and whether they find your site trustworthy or not.

Here are some tips to help your websites UI and UE.

THE BASICS

Let's start with the basics. Before getting into more pointed information about how to attract customers with your web design, let’s make sure we have the SEO and business basics down. For the SEO basics, it is good to make sure you have no broken links, proper tags, alt tags, titles, and quality content. Research on keywords for your site is also beneficial to your visibility.

Business basics include information that is essential to your operation. It seems silly to mention, but many websites forget to include their address, phone number, hours of operation, and other basics. Make sure your information is listed, and lastly, make sure your site is up to date. Whether you moved locations, have different hours during holidays, or have made changes to your essential business information, it is imperative to update this information. By updating information, you can also make sure you have current content both for your visuals and copy.

THE VISUALS

Now that the basics are out of the way, let’s talk all things visual. Whether you can afford a top tier web designer or not, the key to an attractive and effective web design is simplicity. Inkbot Design found that you only have 50 milliseconds to impress visitors with your website. The last thing you want to do is overwhelm visitors with a crowded or confusing web layout. It is best to have crisp and clean pages that are easy to navigate as well as easy to skim.

Most people won’t take the time to thoroughly read your web copy, so make sure to include only the most important information and make it easy to read quickly. Besides having a simple and minimalist website, make sure to include outstanding images related to your products and services. If you work in retail, include an abundant amount of photos for every product, capturing every angle. If you work at a restaurant, include mouth-watering images to entice visitors.

SIMPLE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

As mentioned above, an attractive website needs to have a robust UI and UE. So why are we talking more about the Shopping Experience? Well, that is because the user’s shopping experience is crucial to getting visitors through the sales funnel, retaining customers with positive experiences, and building a strong brand reputation. Your site should be very simple and comprehensive so that customers do not get frustrated while using your site. Everything should load in under two seconds. Every delay customers encounter on your site, brings them closer to leaving. Your site should also feel trustworthy.

FEELING SECURE

To make your site feel trustworthy, you need to show viewers how secure your site really is. You can simply build trust by adding trust badges and credit card logos to your checkout page. Also, offering payment options as a way to speed up the checkout process helps keep the process simple. These methods will feel familiar to shoppers and boost your brand reputation which in turn boosts your sales.

BE MOBILE

Another way to further improve the shopping experience is to have your website easily accessible on mobile devices. Mobile browsing continues to increase year after year, so it is essential to check how your website looks, feels, and performs across different devices. If your website has a responsive design then it will perform well across devices. Don’t rely on computer-based searches alone for sales in this increasingly mobile world.  

ASSIST SHOPPERS

While you want your website to be as easy to navigate and self-explanatory as possible, it is still necessary to show customers that you are always available. You can easily add a Live chat option to your site. This is a more distinct way to show customers that you want them to have a wonderful user experience. Having a high-quality support system will help build customer loyalty and increase sales.  

CALL TO ACTIONS

Having Call to Action (CTA) buttons on your website increases your click-through rates. By having CTAs on your homepage, you are assisting customers with their navigation of your site. Placement is crucial to the effectiveness of CTAs because you want them to grab people’s attention. Examples of CTA buttons you can use are: “Shop Now,” “Sign Up,” “Ask for a Consultation,” “More Information,” and “Get 10% Off.” With CTAs you can also direct customers to where you want them to go.

IN CONCLUSION

Creating a better web design to attract more customers doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. These are some simple, staple tactics to make your website more appealing to customers. Having a quality user interface and experience should be the goal of your web design.

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