You want to know the secret that makes some websites convert better than others?

It’s user experience (UX) design.

The smartest companies know that a good-looking website is worthless if visitors can’t figure out how to use it. According to Forrester Research, great UX can improve conversion rates by up to 400%.

That’s not a misprint.

The problem is most websites are designed from a business perspective… not the customer’s. And that’s why so many ecommerce and service companies struggle to turn their traffic into paying customers.

The good news? UX design principles aren’t complicated. When implemented correctly they can transform your website from an underperformer to a conversion machine.

Let me show you how to do it…

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Why First Impressions Matter More Than You Think
• The Core UX Principles That Drive Conversions
• Mobile UX: The Silent Revenue Killer
• How To Apply These Principles Today

Why First Impressions Matter More Than You Think

Get ready for a shocking fact…

Visitors decide whether or not they like your website in just 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds to be exact).

That’s before they can even read a single word of your content. If your site looks like it was built in the 1990s, users walk. And if your site looks outdated or unprofessional, they walk.

Users don’t give you the benefit of the doubt. They are skeptical from the second they land on your site until the moment they convert.

So what happens when users trust a business?

That’s right…

They buy.

This isn’t something to take lightly. Your website might be the first thing a user experiences when they land on your site, but it’s one of the most important.

The Core UX Principles That Drive Conversions

UX design can be a complicated thing.

Understanding how to build usable sites can be a rabbit hole of articles and blogs about design, interface, user flows, and psychology.

Professional web design and development requires knowing which principles matter most to conversion. If you want to see it done right, visit www.lilo.co.uk to see these principles in action.

Here are the ones that matter most…

Keep Navigation Simple

Visitors shouldn’t need a GPS device to find what they’re looking for.

The very best websites have intuitive navigation that guides visitors directly where they need to go with the least amount of effort. This means using standard menu structures and limiting choices.

“When users feel lost, they leave. When users feel guided, they convert.”

Trim the fat from your menus and make the path from landing page to checkout as short as possible.

Prioritize Page Speed

Who has time to wait for a slow website in 2020?

It’s not an overstatement to say page speed is UX 101. A one-second delay in page load time can reduce conversions by 7%. And if your site takes more than three seconds to load? Say goodbye to nearly half of your visitors.

Speed is non-negotiable. It’s a fundamental UX requirement with a direct line to your bottom line.

Use Clear Calls-To-Action

Every page on your website should have a reason for existing.

A great way to guide visitors through your site is with clear calls to action.

Ambiguous buttons like “Submit” or “Click Here” are out. Buttons with clear language and actionable value are in.

Powerful CTAs include:

• Get Your Free Quote
• Start My 14-Day Trial
• Add To Cart

The more specific, the better. Tell users exactly what they’ll get by clicking that button and remove any uncertainty.

Design For Scannability

Fact: Visitors don’t read websites.

At least not in the traditional sense. Most visitors will quickly scan through content on a page and pick out relevant information. Long paragraphs and blocks of text get ignored.

The way you format and design your content has a massive impact on conversions.

Headers. Bullet points. White space. All of these subtle design elements make pages scannable and lead to higher conversion rates.

Build Trust Through Design

Trust is the currency of the internet.

Users have to feel secure before parting with their credit card details or personal information. Clean design with no obvious errors builds that confidence in the blink of an eye.

Elements that build trust include:

• Testimonials and reviews
• Security badges and certifications
• Contact information
• Professional photos

If your website looks legitimate, most users will assume your business is too.

Mobile UX: The Silent Revenue Killer

There’s a silent revenue killer that too many websites are sleeping on…

Mobile UX.

Did you know over half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices? If your website doesn’t function flawlessly on phones and tablets, you’re literally losing sales every single day.

Mobile UX isn’t just a shrunken down version of desktop. It’s a unique design approach for the way people use their phones.

Thumb-friendly interfaces. Smaller screens with less patience. Flick through swipes instead of mouse clicks.

Mobile matters more than you think.

Forrester estimates 88% of users won’t return to a website after a bad mobile experience. On mobile, bad experiences happen all the time when sites are not properly optimized.

Buttons too small to tap. Checkout forms users can’t fill out. Images that take forever to load. These issues kill conversions faster than almost anything else.

The first thing to do to improve mobile UX is making sure your website is mobile responsive. That means redesigning for mobile screen sizes instead of hoping things work on smaller devices.

Checkout Optimization: Where Revenue Gets Lost

Where do you think most ecommerce businesses lose customers?

It’s not on their homepage or service pages. It’s not even on the product pages.

The answer is the checkout process.

Research shows the average checkout form contains nearly 24 fields. That’s double the number you need. Every extra field makes users more likely to abandon their cart.

Checkout optimization isn’t rocket science:

• Don’t ask for anything that isn’t strictly necessary
• Offer guest checkout
• Show progress indicators
• Put trust signals next to payment fields

These small changes will help you recover a lot of lost revenue.

How To Apply These Principles Today

UX design is great in theory. The real work is in applying these principles to your own website.

Start by evaluating your current website. Look at it from your customers’ perspective. Is the navigation intuitive? Are your pages loading fast enough? Is the checkout process smooth?

Then get ruthless with your prioritization.

Focus on the changes that will have the biggest impact on your conversions first. Speed and simplified navigation always deliver the quickest wins.

Most importantly… don’t be afraid to outsource. Professional web design and development agencies understand these principles inside and out.

Wrapping It All Up

UX design is not about building pretty websites.

It’s about building profitable ones. The principles outlined in this article are the building blocks for every high-converting website. From the first impressions that form in milliseconds to the checkout flow that closes the deal…

Every little detail matters.

To quickly recap:

• First impressions last 50 milliseconds
• Simple navigation guides users to conversion
• Page speed is directly correlated to revenue
• Mobile experience is not optional
• Checkout optimization helps you get more revenue from your visitors

The smartest companies know which side of this line they’re on and take steps to improve UX. The ones that don’t understand continue to struggle with sales even as their traffic grows.

Now you know the difference