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UX or SUX - Design for everyone or for a specific person?

UX (User Experience) is something we work hard on when it comes to conversion optimization, but actually many of us focus on SUX (Some User Experience), which means that we improve the UX for our target audience and no one else. We want to constantly improve the experience for our users by adapting the website to the movement patterns that will allow the user to convert in the best possible way. In many cases, we use Growth Hacking techniques where we test hypotheses and evaluate the results before implementing the change.

There are different degrees of UX and one of the easiest things you can change is to create more conversion options and contact buttons. Something we usually think less about is how to improve the experience for everyone, not just our target audience. This is something we don't practice as often as it requires more thought.

Improving the experience for more makes the experience for few better.

In UX design, a growing topic is accessibility and inclusivity. We want to be as accessible to our target audience as possible, which includes being visible on search engines with both text and audio, being visible on social media, to having many touch points on the website. But what exactly is accessibility and inclusivity?

What is accessible and inclusive design?

Accessibility is defined as the ability of a user to use your products/services but should not be confused with ease of use, which makes it easy to accomplish or achieve goals. Accessibility is therefore about meeting the needs of all users, whether they are, for example, colour blind or have some other disability.

Although accessibility and usability/experience are different, both have a major impact on the UX or user experience.

Examples of accessible and inclusive design

We see accessible and inclusive design all the time in the physical world but this is something we rarely think about. Here's an example where many steps are being taken to create inclusive design, namely stairs in subway stations:

  • In escalators, there is a sharp yellow line so that people with impaired vision can see where the stairs begin and end, the same is often seen on ordinary stairs.
  • Texture on edges to make it possible to know where the stairs begin and end
  • We have handrails on stairs so that people with walking difficulties can get extra balance.
  • We have tracks for prams, wheelchairs so that more people can get up.
  • There are lifts adjacent to the stairs for anyone who cannot get up the escalator or the regular stairs.

Most important of all in this example is that everyone has the same starting and ending point. No one has to make a deviation on the intended route. This is something we should keep in mind for digital design and we will go through this more later in this text.

Although this is a good example of accessible and inclusive design, it does not reflect the real world. The same goes for the UX of websites

What do accessibility and inclusivity have to do with UX design and my website?

When we create our website, we put a lot of focus on our target audience and what we think is important for us and our target audience. What is important we emphasise clearly with size, colour and images and what we consider less important we place in a less accessible place such as the footer.

Information in the footer tends to be a bit overlooked, but important parts like data storage, contact details and terms of use tend to be there. Many footers out there are also white with a thin grey colour on the text, which makes it difficult for people with visual impairments, for example, to digest this text. Here's an example of SUX, found at the bottom right corner and zoomed in for clarity.

 

Here are examples of better design, i.e. UX:

 

Why should my website have inclusive and accessible design?

There are several reasons to focus on inclusive and accessible design when working with UX. If we look at the example above, we could use the footer as a way to hide information or see it as another place to have information. This makes a difference in how I experience the website and how easily I can navigate the website. Creating tailored content to your target audience is something that doesn't affect how inclusive the design of the website is.

Other reasons are:

  • Search engine algorithms have an easier time searching the website as there is a clearer structure
  • Better navigation means it's easier for searchers to get where they want to go, increasing conversion rates and reducing unnecessary clicks.
  • Visually more pleasing with sharp contrasts and increased readability, users often stay longer on the website.
  • More visitors understand your product/service, increasing your chances of conversions and making it easier to get your message across via word-of-mouth.

How can I work with UX instead of SUX?

In practice, this means starting to create a design for users with disabilities. This often results in a more thoughtful design and more detail oriented. Creating this type of design is also called universal design because it is design that everyone understands. This is something that is rarely worse for you as a business owner.

Here are some statements and questions that take into account accessibility and inclusiveness:

  1. Design to suit people with different abilities - e.g. voice search, videos
  2. Flexibility - Is it made for left or right handed people? How might this affect the experience?
  3. Ease of use - Is it easy to navigate and is there a clear structure? Does anyone understand what you are doing? Is the flow too repetitive? Is something new happening?
  4. Visibility - Optimize visibility, do people see what is written? Is the text big enough? Is the colour choice good and are there contrasts?
  5. Margin of error - Is there any margin for mis-pressing, are the buttons large, are they close together? Are there two links right next to each other?

What can I do practically to improve my UX?

  • Use web-developed themes on your website that are created To take this into account
  • Use title tags.
  • Write Alt texts for the pictures.
  • Have a clear linking strategy.
  • Change the text colour if there is not enough contrast in the background.
  • Make content readable
  • Create transcription for videos
  • Translate your website into more languages if you are international
  • Try using your website without using the mouse!!

DO UX AND NOT SUX

When you want to optimise your website, think about the difference between UX and SUX where UX is for everyone and SUX is for a few. Try to improve for as many people as possible and not just your target audience. This will make your website even more conversion friendly and thus bring you more leads and more business.

Feel free to contact us at Contitude if you want to talk more about this topic, otherwise we wish you good luck. If you are interested in finding out how much your leads are worth, you can try our lead calculator here!

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