What does U ser- E xperience (UX) ?
User experience describes the entirety of the impressions a user makes when inserting, using, visiting or applying a product, app, website or software.
This means that a good user experience is made up of several factors. In addition to one’s own expectations of functionality, usefulness, information structure and visuality also have an impact on the user experience.
User experience in German would be the user experience. Originally, this term was about products in their application or buildings in their meaningful usability. In the meantime, the user experience (UX) has become an important criterion in the design of websites, apps and software.
Which factors influence the user experience?
D ie user experience is an individual matter, since it is based on your own experience level as well as among other things, on the personal cultural background. As a rule, in order to optimize a website for a better user experience, one assumes a certain persona, i.e. a fictitious but precisely defined user personality, to which the user experience is adapted.
With the first factor that influences the user experience, it becomes clear why this simplification is necessary.
For the sake of clarity, we will consider the user experience using the example of a website. In addition, we only consider three of the many aspects that, by definition, influence a person’s user experience.
User experience factors: expectation
The first question to be answered must, the following is the expectation of the user to the website. What features, information and orientation options puts the user strongly ahead, which would be more disturbing? What is the minimum function and information in leading, comparable websites, what are interesting, additional extensions that are positively accepted by the user?
Example:
If you take an online shop, for example, the user can expect a large number of filter functions. Thanks to this, he can get to a specific product as precisely and easily as possible.
The situation is different with a different target group. If the majority of users tend to be “discoverers” of sales behavior, expectations are also different. This target group, which likes to “rummage” online, could rather disappoint and discourage an establishment of the offer with many filters.
The expectation also includes a minimum amount of information such as the product name, price, availability in an online shop or the choice of color, images and the structure of websites.
Points to be checked that can influence the user experience (expectation area)
- cultural conditions (direction of writing, colors, imagery, symbolism)
- Context of use (lancer? P rivate? Go? On the desktop PC?)
- Goal of the website (inform? Sell? Image?)
- Positioning, sizes of components of the website (footer below, button next to the product…)
- Added value of the website
- Further user-specific expectations
In addition to the expectations of the structure and aesthetics that the target group places on a website, personal preferences and experiences can also be added, which influence the user experience.
The better the expectations of the intended target user in terms of content, functions, usability, design and structure, the better they will evaluate the user experience. This aspect then also has an impact on the behavior of the target group in terms of use, experience and intensity of interaction.
Functionality as the second factor for UX
According to sciencedict.com, the functionality of a website is another important factor that affects the user experience. Learned causalities must be mapped as well as an effective and efficient use of the site. E in users expected for example that a Web e ite quickly and completely loads, one in triggering a form appears success message or an underlined word is also linked.
Users who use mobile devices on the Internet are very important, as are the loading time and usability of websites. Among other things, Google recognized this and indexed it mobile-first.
Also, the display of web pages in different browsers on smart devices and the like should work well for a good U ser- E xperience.
Overall, the usability of the website should be as intuitive, fast, uncomplicated and logical as possible. These requirements lead to a positive user experience.
The information structure of the website
In addition to usability and visual appearance, the information structure is also important. As succinct as it may sound: important things must be very easy and direct to reach. Here, the vote but depends on the U ser- I ntent, so the G around the website visit. The user experience of an information seeker on a pure image landing page will probably turn out to be rather negative.
On the other hand, you can achieve a positive user experience with a prospective buyer with appropriate adjustments in design, usability and information structure on an online shop.
Which information can be found at which point also counts in the user experience. If it is difficult for a visitor to find the information they are looking for, or not at all, they will probably break off their website visit and make their purchase decision elsewhere. That is why, for example, a sensible menu structure and layout of the website are important factors for a positive user experience.
Is U ser-Experience an SEO ranking factor?
Since the user experience on a website also influences the behavior of the user, optimizing the user experience is a sensible measure to get better rankings in the search engines.
Because if the visitor’s user experience is positive, ranking factors such as length of stay, clicks, scroll depth, but also interactions such as purchases or registrations in forms / shops, etc. will automatically increase. develop positively. In addition, factors such as loading times and mobile capability are both a ranking factor and a factor for a good user experience.
In fact, Google offers itself as a major search engine also UX playbooks for different theme supported websites and it is likely that s s these recommendations also affect the SEO rankings.
Click here for the UX playbook for online shops!
How can I optimize the user experience on my website?
Check the performance figures of your website as critically as possible. Where are the points at which the target group’s use stops? Thoroughly check the information structure and usability of your web presentation. Let this review also liked by a man do who does not know your site and be honest the experience in regard to Ges t a lt clothes, describe usability and interaction. Points that are not well received are a start for optimizing the user experience.
Click here for our suitable PODCAST on the subject of “ Key Performance Values ”
Our experienced team in the field of web design, onpage and conversion rate optimization will be happy to provide you with competent support with your adjustments.