Usability and the website design are key to the success of your business. If visitors are unable to navigate your site, they will move on very quickly. We are living in an era where tolerance for sloppy websites is no longer exists. Gone are the days when visitors will wait for a site to load up or hang around to see if they can figure things out.
Companies who understand how important it is to have a user-friendly and visually appealing website will always gain a competitive advantage in their industry. User interface design incorporates several things including how to identify your website visitors, below you will find some helpful information about the importance of user interface design.
User Interface Design (UI) – What is it?
For those of you who are unfamiliar with UI, it is the relationship between your website and its users. Every website should have certain fundamentals in places, such as the overall design and usability. In other words, it should be simple enough for a person of below-average intelligence to navigate. Additionally, it involves your websites response to users.
For example, does it provide what the visitor is looking for? Additionally, UI refers to communication, user manipulation and structure.
Why User Interface Design is Important
There are several reasons why user interface design is important, here are some of them:
Visual Design:
Unfortunately, we live in a shallow world and first impressions are essential. Not only do we judge people based on physical appearance, but we also judge websites in the same way. If a potential visitor logs onto your website and they don’t like the design, they are going to click out and move onto the next.
The visual design incorporates colours, fonts, pictures, white space etc. For example, some visitors might be put off if a website has got too much white space, or they don’t like the font, or maybe the colours are too bright. If a website doesn’t appeal to the visitor, it will affect how they perceive it and how they remember it.
Visual appeal is also a relationship builder, visitors who find your website aesthetically pleasing are going to come back. The fact that they identify with your brand in this way not only increases the likely hood of them becoming a customer, but it increases the likelihood of them becoming a loyal customer.
Additionally, visual appeal is a way of disguising the less pleasing aspects of your website. No matter how hard we try, the reality is that there is no such thing as a perfect website, there is always going to be something wrong. However, when visitors first impressions are good because they like the way your website looks, they are more likely to overlook the minor defects.
Information Architecture (IA):
The information architecture of your website is how visitors understand where they are according to how the website has been built. It involves a hierarchy of information that makes it easier for visitors to navigate through the website. The information architect will put everything in a specific order to ensure that people are not swallowed up by content.
Information architecture is a long and a tedious process and a lot of businesses often avoid working with an information architect because it can be quite overwhelming, and this is why so many websites tend to have navigation problems.
Interactive Design:
An interactive website is one that provides opportunities for visitors to interact with the content. It could mean getting visitors to fill out a form, or allowing them to submit feedback or comments. An interactive website might also include elements of artificial intelligence or virtual reality such as a virtual tour of a property. The main aim of an interactive website is to get visitors to engage with the content as much as possible. The longer they stay on the site is an indication of how interested they are in your product or service. Anyone who shows an interest in what you are offering is more likely to turn into a paying customer.
Interactive websites also help you gain valuable information about your target audience. As a business owner, effective data analytics is essential because it will ensure that your marketing campaigns are successful. Keeping your eye on results will help you make the necessary improvements to your product so that you can steer your company in the right direction.
An interactive website will help you determine what is capturing your visitors’ attention. You can keep track of the information they provide, and the parts of the website they are clicking on the most. Additionally, interactive websites capture information such as email addresses and personal information, which you can use for marketing campaigns in the future.
Finally, an interactive website helps you connect with customers in a way that a normal website won’t. When this type of relationship is established from the start, it provides a solid foundation for you to build on moving forwards. This is especially true when it comes to your marketing campaigns because when you understand your customers on a personal level, you can provide what they need which will increase the chances of them making a purchase.
Final Thought
Now that you understand the importance of user interface design, the next step is implementation. If the evidence suggests that your website is not performing well, it would be wise to invest some money in rectifying these issues. The more attractive and user friendly your website is, the higher your conversion rates are going to be.
