Every business needs a website these days. But if the site doesn’t employ UI design principles, it simply will not attract as much traffic and be able to convert those visitors into customers. The interface through which visitors interact needs to be as near to perfect as possible. By using the right UI design methods, that’s undoubtedly achievable.
Design Your interface with Your Target Audience in Mind
Before designing an interface, it’s vital you define how people will be using it. You can then tailor it to a specific demographic. Visitors to websites and apps interact in two different ways: directly and indirectly. The former includes tapping a button and swiping a card, while the latter involves things like pointing and clicking a mouse and typing into a form field. By understanding who your users are and what devices they are using, you can come up with informed decisions on how to design your interface. For instance, if your target audience is seniors who have limited dexterity, designing with a touchscreen in mind could be best. If your interface is primarily for people who interact with apps via a keyboard, you will want to support common keyboard shortcuts, so that time spent working with a mouse is minimized.
Compare Other Websites in Your Sector
The UI design principles you use to create your website should be based on your specific business sector, as some designs work better for some industries than others. You should take time to study other websites and apps of businesses operating in your industry so you can best see how users are interacting with content. It’s also always good to keep an eye on your competitors so you can provide better options than them. For example, if you are in the online video game business, you will want to check out other gaming platforms. It’s also recommended you look at how users in different countries interact with websites, so you can tailor yours to suit your target audience. For instance, look at how a Casumo NZ differs from a website in the US.
Give Acknowledgements When Actions Are Taken
UI design is all about making your website easy for visitors to use. So, the last thing you want is for your potential customers not to understand what’s going on. Therefore, it is best practice always to acknowledge when an action has been taken. For example, if a user clicks a button, you should provide an indication that the button has been clicked. You could do that by making the button turn another color once it has been pressed, or you could animate the button so that it appears to sink into the page after being clicked. And if it takes a while for content to load, ensure you include a loading icon so that people know their action is being processed. Whenever a visitor to your website takes an action, a small acknowledgment can make all the difference to the user’s experience.
Consistency Is Key
If you want to turn traffic to your website into actual customers, it’s essential your site is consistent throughout. That means using the same design principles for each page. For example, don’t place the menu on the top of one page and at the bottom of another. And don’t use one font type for one blog post and a different font type for another. If your UI design is not consistent, visitors to your website will find it difficult to navigate and access content. People should know exactly where everything is on your website and be able to navigate to different pages and forms within three clicks. By being inconsistent with your UI design, you will confuse visitors. Do that, and they will leave your website as quickly as they reached it. If you want to turn visitors into customers, website design consistency is crucial. You should also make sure your UI is correct for the platform. For instance, iOS apps can work differently to Android ones, and desktops have different needs than mobile sites.