Picture this: you just launched your new website. It’s beautiful — stunning, even. The design is eye-catching and the content flows beautifully. It’s truly a marvel. But it’s not driving the results you’d hoped for.
Traffic doesn’t skyrocket, conversions are low, and session times per user are practically nonexistent. They’re clicking, but they’re clicking away just as fast. What’s happening?
Ask yourself, do you have an intuitive website? Huh, what is an intuitive website? We’re glad you asked! The experts at Baal & Spots, a digital marketing agency and web design company in Houston, Texas, are here to explain in detail how utilizing an intuitive content marketing strategy will uplift your business — and how we can help make it happen.
What is an intuitive website?
In short, intuitive websites are designed to be easy-to-use for your target audience. If your website isn’t easy to navigate and the right information isn’t easy to find, people are more likely to click away and look elsewhere. Your website’s design and content must be functional and visually appealing to gain and keep the attention of the user.
In Don’t Make Me Think, Steve Krug explains how website development and design should prioritize creating an intuitive user interface to create a seamless user experience. In the book, he says the following:
“I should be able to ‘get it’ — what it is and how to use it — without expending any effort thinking about it. …when I’m looking at a page that makes me think, all the thought balloons over my head have question marks in them. When you’re creating a site, your job is to get rid of the question marks.”
Steve Krug, Don’t Make Me Think, 31
When it comes to choosing the design and language of your website, intuitive designs are more obvious to the user. And when things are more obvious, they are more likely to be clicked on and explored. Your desired results will come to you much easier if you focus on the site’s experience for your target audience.
Intuitive design examples (with the help of Steve Krug)
Here are a couple of examples from Krug’s book. Let’s begin with what a webpage with poor intuitive design would look like.
Krug, Steve (2014). Don't Make Me Think, Revisited, 31
As you can see in this example, the website depicted above is clunky, cramped, and cluttered with words and links. There are little to no visual indicators of how the user should go about using this site to find the information they need. It’s a real head-scratcher.
Click off.
Your target audience shouldn’t feel like they’re searching blindly through a labyrinth of nonsense. If this feels a little too familiar to you, chances are that you are in need of a new website. Don’t fret — we can help you with that.
Now, let’s see an example of how well-thought-out, intuitive designs elevate and simplify the user experience without making you overthink.
Krug, Steve (2014). Don't Make Me Think, Revisited, 31
The user in this example is able to identify the page they’re on, what they are searching for, and other details like special sales easily. There is little thought and no confusion. No question marks in sight. This user is more likely to stay on the website for longer, giving this business a better chance of seeing purchases, subscriptions, or other conversions.
How to make an intuitive website
Now that you have a better idea of what constitutes an intuitive website, we’ll share some of our expert tips on how to make an intuitive website for your own business.
Step 1: Consult with a UX designer
If you’re not someone who specializes in UX design, also known as user experience, then taking that first step might seem a little daunting. Collaborating with a digital marketing partner like Baal & Spots can provide the necessary expertise to create a website that will:
- Appeal to your target audience
- Simplify and improve the user experience
- Function properly and efficiently
- Incorporate your unique branding and messaging
Our UX designers can conduct user research, create wireframes, and provide valuable insights to ensure your website meets user needs and expectations effectively. Also, if you’re looking for a tailored and results-driven website management service after deployment, look no further than Baal & Spots.
Step 2: Revisit your content
Imagine your website’s content, especially on your homepage, is like a medicine cabinet. There are items everywhere that need to be cleaned up and organized so that you can find your necessities more easily.
First, it’s time to declutter the cabinet. Are there any old medicine bottles or empty band-aid boxes that are just taking up space? If so, throw them out! Oftentimes, the key to successful content marketing is to be able to say a lot with a little. Make sure the essentials are easy to find, try to keep your copy as short yet informative as possible, and link out to other pages on your website for more information if necessary.
Lastly, it’s no secret that most people are going to be scanning your content rather than hanging on every word. Headings, subheadings, and visual cues (like icons and buttons) can act as points of interest to divert their attention where necessary. If someone wants to skip to the good parts, make sure you know what you’re talking about, and hire you quickly, you’ve got to make it easy for them to do so.
Step 3: Implement a true responsive design
Think about how a person will interact with every aspect of your on-screen content. What will they see? What will they read? And most importantly, what will they be using to look at your site?
Your website cannot only function well on desktops. You must design your website to work seamlessly across all devices and screen sizes, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Use flexible layouts, scalable images, and CSS media queries to ensure your site looks great no matter what device the user is searching on.
A mobile-first responsive design is also necessary to ensure that your website is accessible — if it isn’t, Google could flag it, hindering your performance and results.
Step 4: Provide clear CTAs
Whether you’re promoting a product or a business, the end goal of your website is to make a user do something. The messages you use to relay that information are known as call-to-action (CTA) and are typically used in the form of buttons, banners, or submission forms. The clearer (and more persuasive) these CTAs are, the more likely they are to be utilized.
For example, if you’re selling a product, a button reading “Add to Cart” or “Visit Our Store” designed with clear, contrasting colors/shapes in the right place tells that user exactly what to do. Another example would be a legal website having a banner that says “Contact Us Today” with a phone number and a link to a case submission form.
You want your CTAs to stand out, ensuring that the purpose of each button or link is immediately clear, helping users navigate your site with confidence.
Build an intuitive website that will drive results with Baal & Spots
The key to crafting and maintaining an intuitive website is to center the user experience, prioritize accessibility and usability, and of course, don’t make them think too hard. However, we understand that this is all easier said than done. Having an expert in your corner to create and execute a user-focused website design and development strategy will help to bring in the results you are looking for.
We know that the prospect of building a website is intimidating, but you should know that you don’t have to make the journey alone. The digital experts at Baal & Spots are by your side to help you build a beautiful, functional new website that will help you achieve your business goals. Our website development and design team alongside our talented content writers can support your ambitions while carrying out your vision.
Ready to grow your business? Let’s discuss how our agency services can improve your online marketing presence.
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