How to use website social proof: strategies and examples that work
Nov 27, 2024
It's surprisingly common to make mistakes when it comes to website user experience (UX). But, the good news is that crafting a fantastic UX is a systematic approach that follows some best practices. Here are eight common website UX mistakes and how to solve them.
You can use these tips to compare with your current website and make quick changes to improve your UX.
In the context of websites, your value proposition is most commonly presented in your homepage hero section. At its core, it should provide a succinct summary of the tangible benefits or results customers can expect when they use your products or services. It should focus on the unique value you provide.
In its simplest form, your value proposition should say what you do and who you do it for.
But sometimes there’s a difference between what you want to talk about and what your audience wants to know.
This is a common occurrence for businesses. It’s easy overly creative with your value proposition, without considering whether it’s useful to your audience. For example, while your strapline may be witty and highly creative, it’s not handy information for a user who wants to confirm exactly what you offer.
A call to action (CTA) indicates the next step you want audience to take. It prompts the user to take a specific action, like going to another page, downloading content, or getting in contact.
Without one, there’s no clear path for your audience to take. If someone lands on your homepage, you ideally want to create a journey that makes logical sense based on the section of your homepage they’re looking at. This next step, or CTA, should take them to the next step on their journey.
79% of people scan a web page, compared to just 16% who read it word-by-word. This doesn’t mean you should overlook your website copy, but make sure to compliment it with visually appealing design, branding, and clear heading or paragraph structures.
You can learn more about visual web design principles in our blog.
This makes it easier for users to quickly understand your page, and if it’s useful to them.
When a user interacts with your website, it is crucial that the actions and feedback are clear and obvious. For example, when a user clicks on a link, it should change colour to indicate that it has been clicked. Similarly, when a user hovers over an element, it should clearly change in response to their movement. This visual feedback reassures the user that their actions are being recognised and helps them navigate through your website with ease.
Be clear and honest about your CTA. Avoid using bait and switch CTAs, where you attempt to dress up your offer as something it's not. For example, if your CTA says 'free trial', it should not lead someone to a page where they have to book a demo instead. This kind of misleading tactic can frustrate users and lose trust in your brand.
By using honest CTA language, you avoid frustrating potential buyers with misleading offers. And the same serious buyers are likely to commit to your offer if it's clear what they're getting.
Sliders are moving sections of your page that slide to show different content. A common example of this is on a homepage. Many businesses make their hero section a ‘slider’ in an attempt to communicate multiple value propositions, using selling points, or topical messages.
The reason this is common is that businesses can’t decide on just one statement of their value proposition for their hero section, or they have other promotional content they want to push.
But this indecisiveness is harmful. Your core value proposition is diluted with other messages. And the movement of sliders negatively impacts your user’s experience as it distracts the brain from concentrating on your core message.
Further reading: Should you have a slider on your homepage?
The best hero section for a website provides strong, clear messaging. In this case, one great hero section is better than three within a slider.
Hamburger navigation is the three lines that are used to represent the navigation. When clicked on, it expands to open the navigation options. On mobile devices, this saves space, but on desktop, hamburger navigation should be avoided. On desktop websites, it hinders users from quickly understanding the structure of your website. And this forces them to constantly click in and out of the navigation menu to find the desired page, instead of having easy access at all times.
Contact pages can be poor performers in terms of generating qualified high-intent conversions. They typically get completed more by people who are trying to sell you their services.
This is because contact pages tend to lack specificity and fail to provide a clear action or outcome. However, using phrases like 'talk to sales' or 'book a consultation' can drive more engagement from serious buyers as it conveys the mutual benefit that will be received after completion.
Robin Radar systems saw a 10% increase in conversion rate on their enquiry page after updating ambiguous messaging to 'talk to sales'.
If you do decide to include a contact form, try placing it in the footer instead of on a dedicated page. This can be beneficial as users can conveniently submit it within the context of the page they are on. This approach is much more practical than including a blog subscribe form in the footer that often goes unused.
In episode 7 of Demand Decoded, we shared the most effective UX tips and tricks that will help you create an engaging website that converts. Watch the full recording below.
