Web development and digital marketing are among the fastest-changing fields today. New technologies are being introduced to make websites more interactive, more fluid, and more suitable for users. At the same time, algorithms behind search engines and digital advertising networks pose new challenges to site owners.
The two fields must be taken seriously if you want to develop a successful site. One of the key factors to focus on is user experience or UX since it can influence both the development and the digital marketing side of the website. There are four web UX tactics that you can still use today, and we are going to review them in this article.
Consistent Navigation
Consistent navigation is one of the oldest tricks in the UX book. You can’t expect visitors to browse through your site fluidly without providing them with a navigation menu that they can use easily. Consistency, however, is the keyword here.
Aside from offering the same, consistent menu across the site, it is also necessary to let users know where they are at all times. Web development professionals are finding new and creative ways of displaying a breadcrumb and it is quickly becoming a must-use tactic for maximum user experience.
Fast Loading Time
Another old trick in the web UX book is ensuring maximum speed. A site that loads quickly is more likely to retain visitors than a slow-loading one. There are optimization tricks you can use to improve your site’s performance, including by removing metadata from images and compressing large contents for better delivery.
Speaking of delivery, the way site content is delivered matters too. You can’t expect a fast loading site when you use a low-performing server or hosting account. The emphasis on performance is part of the reason why top hosting service providers are making the switch to cloud computing and improving their service quality by a substantial margin; you can rely on resource centers such as Hosting Kingdom to find a hosting service with top performance.
Content First
It is easy to fall into the trap of creating a visually appealing site and forgetting about content delivery. Branding and visual elements are important, but you have to also make sure the main content is the star of the site.
After all, visitors come to your site to consume the content you offer. Making the article and main images load first, using the right font to improve readability, and investing in high-quality content in the first place are among the things you can do to improve your site’s user experience.
Mobile-First Approach
Over 70% of today’s web visitors use their mobile devices to access the internet (in this case, your site). Designing a mobile-friendly site is now a must and not an option you can simply ignore. A good, user-friendly website needs to be equally accessible on mobile devices with smaller screens.
It doesn’t stop there either. There are new technologies that can further improve the mobile UX of a website. Google’s AMP, for example, delivers content much more fluidly. Implementing these technologies will also help your site retain more of its visitors over a longer period of time.
These four web UX tactics are not only easy to implement but can also make a big impact on the performance of the site in general. If you want to take your site to the level of success you’ve always wanted, then these are the UX tactics to use.