What is UX and why the hell do you need it ?

Have you ever been to one of those “hip” clothing stores where they blast your eardrums into pulp with horribly loud “dance music”? Do you also feel like leaving straight away? Well, that is a prime example of bad bad UX and its consequences.

When we, as Kenekt, talk about UX we talk about your website. Success in the online world, however you define it, depends on having a well-designed website. And we don’t just mean that it should “look pretty”, the main value in design is general usability.

So, what is UX?

Well, UX means “User Experience” and when it comes to web design it relates to how visitors experience you site. The way your site works, how all pages are structured, how people navigate it, the colors, menus etc. All of this is part of the User Experience and has a massive impact on how visitors interact with your pages, how long they remain on them and ultimately how they see your brand.

Why is this important and why do you need it?

Obviously your website can have different functions but be it an informational website or an online store, the way people experience it is equally important.

If you are trying to inform people about who you are and what you do, you need them to read about these things. If most people run away in panic at the sight of your homepage you are missing out! See it as a business card, it needs to look nice AND have the appropriate information otherwise it may very well end up in the bin.

If you offer products or services on your website you want people that land on it to actually find and have a look at what you offer. If your page structure forces people into Indiana Jones like quests to find what they seek, most of them will bounce and be lost forever.

You want your website to be intuitive, easy to use, pleasing on the eye, fast, informative and representing your brand’s identity. From our experiences we have learned that a lot of people underestimate the importance of UX Design for their online performance. They ask about SEO and Adwords for example, as ways to get more visitors to the site. These methods really do work but, if we are leading people to a website where their only though is “I need to get out!”, the effort is wasted.

This is why an online marketing strategy has multiple sides to it, depending on your goals, what kind of business your are running and who your customers are.

Last Updated on November 29, 2021 by Gregor Blair