Well, if you want the short answer, you should design for the user because . . . they are your customer! Or, at least your potential customer. But, besides the obvious, there are plenty of other reasons you should aim for a user-centered website. Read on to discover them!
Frustrated users bounce
If a user is having a hard time finding the right information on your site, they will likely move on to another site. Or, if they do find the information but have a frustrating time doing so (by having to close out of pop-ups, or having to navigate through multiple pages just to find your phone number), they may view your brand in a negative light and assume that your company will be difficult or frustrating to work with.
Better design = increased revenue
In most cases, you aren’t the only company that offers a version of the product or service you are selling. If your website is difficult to navigate, hard to buy from, or your services aren’t clearly laid out, why would someone choose to work with you vs. your competitor?
Google is getting smarter
Gone are the days of keyword stuffing and irrelevant backlinks in order to try and manipulate search results. Google (and all search engines) are getting smarter by the minute, and now pay attention to many UX elements when determining search results. At Rosenberg, we always say designing and optimizing for the user should come first because when you do that, you’re also inherently designing and optimizing for Google. A win, win! SEO aside, Google also takes into account relevance and landing page quality when determining each keyword’s Quality Score in Adwords. So, if you aim to give your user the best landing page experience possible, you’ll likely see your Quality Score go up, your CPC go down, and conversions skyrocket.
Sharing is caring
When you have a really positive experience at a store, restaurant, or salon, what do you do? If you’re anything like me, you spread the word! Well, same goes for your website. Users are more likely to share or talk about your company when they have a positive, professional, and easy online experience. Think about it . . . if someone retweets your content or shares it on Facebook, it may get in front of thousands of new potential customers. You just can’t beat that kind of word-of-mouth promotion!
So, there you have it – when you design for the user, you’re making everyone happy, including your current customers, your potential customers, and search engines. And, you’ll increase digital conversions and your revenue along the way!