Knowing the user experience helps us to understand how our customer behaves within our website. Knowing what they prefer and how they prefer it. This allows us to make it easier for them to interact with our brand, and to enjoy themselves while they do it, in order to create a positive experience and, in the future, if they need to buy our product or service again, they will remember the positive impact that visiting our website had on them.
Next, we will explain what user experience is, how it can help us improve our conversion rate and how it influences each of the phases of Inbound Marketing and thus our strategy.
What is user experience? Is it the same as user usability?
The (UX, User Experience) refers to the perception (positive or negative) that takes place in the user’s mind while interacting with our website. This experience is not only influenced by objective aspects (which we will now discuss), but also by more subjective aspects, such as trust in the brand, the degree of brand awareness, its reputation, etc.
The usability (UI, User Interface or User Interface) is more related to those variables or aspects that facilitate user interaction with our website, such as the choice of typography and appropriate colours, how simple our content appears on the website, our CTAs, forms, etc.
How can the UX of our website help to improve our conversion rate?
It is difficult to control each and every one of the variables that can influence our user experience, but the more we control, the less we leave to chance, and the closer we will be to improving the conversion rate of our website. If we achieve this, we will achieve that out of the total number of people who access our site, a higher percentage will end up buying our products.
Strategy
It is important to strategically define what we want to achieve, the objectives we set ourselves. Do we want the user to fill out a form? Do we want them to buy? To subscribe? To share us on social networks?
If we are clear about what we want to achieve or where we want to reach, we will know what we have to do in order to get there. It is useless to start by structuring the website or modifying its design or content if we do not define what we are interested in at the business level (what we want the user to find more easily) and what is most in demand.
Structure
We have to find the best way to structure our website, taking into account the two premises mentioned in the previous point: what interests us the most at the business level (for example, a specific category within our line of products or services) and what our user is demanding the most (if you know that what sells the most is a specific category, this will have to be taken into account).
Based on these fundamental aspects, we must be clear about the contents and functionalities that must appear on our site, and organize them in such a way that the user has everything as easy and accessible as possible. The main objective while structuring is to achieve the greatest possible simplicity. The simpler and easier to find something, the better. The fewer clicks the user carries out, the easier it will be for them to find what we want (or what they want): to buy our products, contact us, etc. And so our conversion rate will increase, since they can more easily access what they need, and we favour the purchase process.
Visual Design
In terms of visual design, of course, our website has to be in tune with our brand: to use corporate typography and colours, include images designed in line with our image, etc.
If we manage to combine structure and design to perfection, we will achieve a cohesive user experience and usability, and we will be very close to generating a positive impact on the customer’s perception of our website, thus favouring a purchase.
What role does user experience play in our Inbound Marketing strategy?
The website is the axis on which any Inbound Marketing strategy revolves. Therefore, any improvement in the website will positively contribute to the whole strategy.
The phases found within Inbound Marketing are the following: Attract, Convert, Close and Provide Enjoyment. Our website will be there in each of these phases. Let us argue the importance of each of these phases:
Attract
The fact of possessing a good structure will contribute positively to the SEO strategy implemented on the website (something fundamental to attract an audience of interest to the brand), and will also facilitate access to our content. The customer arrives more easily to our website (as Google takes our structure and content organization into consideration) and we favour a transition to the next phase.
Convert
If the user can easily find what the brand has established as a conversion, they will be closer to conversion: a contact form, a CTA to buy or subscribe to a newsletter, etc. Again, we take into account facilitating the user’s path, so that the lead about to become a conversion is finally closed and translates into a sale or business opportunity for the brand.
Close
A website has the advantage of being able to act as a sales agent capable of closing a qualified or ripe lead. Before a purchase is made, it is possible that the lead may have certain doubts that need to be addressed by the brand. Therefore, the customer will want to contact someone who can answer their questions. Their purchase decision will be motivated by: quality content and quality customer service. Both motivations must be well stated on the website, otherwise the user experience could be negative, and the lead could be lost.
Provide Enjoyment
If we want to build customer loyalty, our website can help us to achieve this since it serves as the main point of contact between the customer and the brand. For example, after-sales service is a key moment for loyalty, and this can be carried out through the website. How visible is this service on our website? Can the user conveniently get to us if they have a problem? Is it too hidden? Many brands neglect to offer the customer contact channels that are visible and easy to use, such as: a chatbot, a form, a help section, FAQs, etc.
If we take care to monitor the experience of our user when they try to tell us about a problem, we detect points for improvement and correct them. Like this we will get our customer to trust us and return in the future.
The importance of User Experience for Lifting Group
Improving the user experience is only one of the pillars on which the Inbound Marketing strategy stands. However, it is no less important than the rest.
At Lifting Group we always keep in mind that any action must have an experiential component. Within the Inbound Marketing strategy that we offer, we always start from the premise that: we must offer the right content at the right time (depending on the stage of the funnel where the customer is located), but always ensuring the best experience for the user in any of the phases in which the lead is located.
In addition, our Consulting team approaches the development of web projects for our customers by defining objectives that the website must meet. We align ourselves with our customers and we are proactive in order to achieve the best website concept. Both in the web design and development phase, we never lose sight of the fact that the user experience not only persuades the customer to buy, but also keeps them coming back.
