So you’re trying to figure out just how you can improve your customer’s experience on your website. Improving your customer’s user experience leads to more conversions, engagement, and, best of all, more happy customers. This is a vital topic for anyone with an existing website or anyone looking to start their online business. So the question is how to improve website user experience without coming across as pushy and over the top. All the while making it as easy as possible for your customer to get exactly what they need.
In this post, we’ll cover five steps on how to improve website user experience. Starting with your website copy, design work, about page, customer support, and, finally, how marketing plays a role in all of this. You’ll have the opportunity to do a thorough and honest check of your website to see if you are engaging your visitors. Having engaging and compelling content leads to happy lifelong customers.
1. Improve Your Website Copy to Improve Website User Experience
Website copy is what drives your customers to make a booking at your campground, buy a product or service, or sign up for your website’s newsletter. Just like a person, your website has a personality. A personality that is brought to life through specific design elements, tone, and amazing website copy. For now, let’s focus on your copy and how that plays a role in attracting new customers.
Good website copy conveys emotion, is straightforward, and allows you to connect with your customers. For example, if you run an RV campground in Florida, it would make sense to use bright and sunny words to attract visitors. Your choice of words plays a huge role in determining whether you gain a lifelong customer or having someone click out of your site.
There are a few key strategies that you must follow when creating a good website copy:
- Always use a proofreader.
- Be clear and straightforward.
- Be consistent in your word choice.
- Use direct headings to help guide users through the site.
- Use keywords
- Talk directly to the customer, act as if you are specifically talking to someone.
- Include statistics when possible in your copy.
Using a Proofreader
When looking for ways to improve user experience on website, it is important not to underestimate even the little things. Most people will type up the copy for their website, post it, and never give it a second read. It is crucial that not only you read your copy at least 3 times out loud. But it is even more important a second and maybe even a third pair of eyes give your copy a read. They may catch things that you previously missed. Or they may be able to provide helpful insights into your writing. Even if you are not working with a massive team, asking a friend or family member to read your copy will be extremely beneficial. So, in the end, just be sure to ask them to be honest with their criticism and suggestions.
Be Clear and Straight Forward
This isn’t just a good tip for writing. It’s a good tip for life and all of your day-to-day conversations. But it is even more important when it comes to copy for your website. Your readers need to know exactly what you are asking them to do. They also need to find exactly what they are looking for or be quick to leave your website and find the information they need elsewhere.
When writing constantly, ask yourself these questions. What is my reader looking for? Am I answering my reader’s questions as quickly and thoroughly as possible? And If I was looking for this answer on someone else’s website, how would I like the information presented to me? These few questions will lead to more engaging and helpful content, and your readers/customers will thank you for it.
Be Consistent in your Word Choice
One of the most common mistakes writers make is not being consistent. Word choice needs to be the same across all of your platforms. In the next section, we will cover how this goes hand in hand with design work, but we will focus on word choice for now. For example, if you are a campground owner in California, you may choose to use adjectives as sunny, pristine, beach-side, or similar words to describe your campground and the surrounding area. Now let’s say you choose to use those words on your front page. But throughout your blog post and other pages on your website, you are using completely different words. This not only creates a disconnect in the reader’s mind, but it does not allow them to paint a complete picture of your campground.
The easiest way to make sure this gets done is by using an outline and a complete picture of what you will write and where your writing will end. This will allow you to see your keywords and focus on building your brand by using consistent word choices across the board.
Use Direct Headings to Help Guide Users Through the Site
One of the easiest and still most effective ways when looking at how to improve website user experience is by using direct headings. Headings command attention, point people in the right way, and tell them exactly what you want them to do. Some examples of effective headings include:
- Click Here for 20% Off.
- Buy Now.
- Sign Up for an Exclusive Marketing Program.
- Learn More About …
Use Keywords
This is extremely important. You need to know this before you start writing. Writing without doing your keyword research is next to pointless. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but if you are writing with no keywords, then you might as well not be writing at all. Even in this article, we have narrowed down our keyword (or key phrase) to “how to improve website user experience.” Our goal, therefore, is to create copy that effectively answers that question and provides the most amount of value to our readers.
Writing with keywords not only allows you to focus on a singular topic. It gives you direction and a purpose when you are writing. It helps answer the question of “what are my customers looking for” If your keyword does not answer that question, then you are not writing an effective article, or you are not creating effective copy for your website. Taking the extra time to do the research will make a massive difference in the amount of traffic sent to your website. Some popular keyword research tools include:
- Serpstat
- ahRefs
- keywordtool.io
- Semrush
Talk Directly to the Customer; Act as if you are Specifically Talking to Someone
Have a conversation. When you write your website copy, it should not be for the whole world. It is for those specific people you are writing for. Let’s keep with the same example we have previously mentioned. If you are a campground owner, it makes sense to talk directly to your clients. You need to have a conversation with them in a way that makes them feel as if you are speaking directly with them. Do not allow your message to come across as a major broadcast. It needs to be a one on one personal conversation with your target audience. The easiest way to do this is to act as if the person you are writing to is directly across from you. So, try to come across in a conversational, friendly, and informative manner.
Include Statistics When Possible in Your Copy
When possible, include statistics. If you know the numbers behind your business, and they do a good job of highlighting the best things about your business, you need to show them off. For example, if you have a 98% satisfaction rate, it needs to be loud and clear on your website. Suppose you have helped clients increase sales by 30% that should be on your website front and center. People listen to numbers. Numbers call to our logic centers in our brains. The through process is simple. If company X has had 98% of satisfied customers, why can’t I be the next satisfied customer? Customers love to see the proof that what they are buying actually works and can lead to an enjoyable experience for them.
2. Design
One of the most obvious features of your website is its design. Design plays a major role in people’s psychology and can persuade people to take certain actions on your site. When looking for a major change in website user experience, design work is generally the place to go. Renovating your website can lead to a completely new feel and a swarm of new customers. Aspects such as color scheme, tone, placement of elements, and flow play a major role in attracting and engaging customers.
Color Scheme
Colors play a large role in how much attention your website gets and the feelings your website evokes. Certain colors convey certain feelings and must be taken into account when building your website and building your brand. If you are a campground owner focused on bringing customers into your campground, your color scheme will and should be different from that of a bank. Perhaps your color scheme will be various natural colors such as browns, greens, and blues. In contrast, a bank may choose to stick to blue to convey protection. Here are some examples of colors and the feelings associated with them.
- Red: Anger, passion, lust
- Blue: Calmness, protection, sadness
- Yellow: Caution, happiness
- Green: Disgust, greed, envy
- Black: Coldness, mournful
- White: Fear, coldness, shock
- Pink: Love, embarrassment
- Purple: Courageous, prideful
- Grey: Depression, stoicism, sadness
Tone
Many people associate the word tone with writing. But in reality, the tone of your website is not only the copy but also the design. You can set the tone with powerful colors that convey your message. This message needs to be the same across the board. Your tone should be the same on your home page and even your terms and services page. If you show happiness and calmness on your home page, each page on your website shouldn’t be any different.
Placement of Elements
This is why designers earn the big bucks. It is not only because they know how to design a beautiful website that keeps your customers engaged. But because they know where to place certain design elements. Having perfectly placed calls to action increases your conversion rate; knowing where and how to structure headings ensures that customers remain on your website. Choosing the right images and design elements ensures your customers have a flawless experience on your website.
How to Improve Website User Experience Using Flow
The flow of your website is essential. Not only does that dictate how your customers go through your website. It dictates how effective your website is and your conversion rate. This directly affects your bottom line. As your customers land on your home page, they need a clear direction on where to go next. This path should lead them to all the information they need to know and eventually call them to action. This call to action can either be gathering their email, selling them a service, or having them book a stay at your campground.
The best way to identify if your website has a well-structured flow is by using a flow chart and mapping out your website’s pages. If you can draw an easy-to-understand map from start to finish of your website and have a clear path for your customers to follow, you have a well-structured site. If not, it is time to head back to the drawing board and create a website that effectively converts visitors into customers.
How to Improve Website User Experience Using Flow
The flow of your website is essential. Not only does that dictate how your customers go through your website. It dictates how effective your website is and your conversion rate. This directly affects your bottom line. As your customers land on your home page, they need a clear direction on where to go next. This path should lead them to all the information they need to know and eventually call them to action. This call to action can either be gathering their email, selling them a service, or having them book a stay at your campground.
The best way to identify if your website has a well-structured flow is by using a flow chart and mapping out your website’s pages. If you can draw an easy-to-understand map from start to finish of your website and have a clear path for your customers to follow, you have a well-structured site. If not, it is time to head back to the drawing board and create a website that effectively converts visitors into customers.
3. About Page
One of the most overlooked ways of adding personality to your website is not about the page. Or if you have a page, it is not well-built and does not convey trust to the potential customer. If you plan on customers to give you money and, more importantly, their time, you better have their trust. One of the easiest ways to do this is using an about page. You will have the opportunity to show the real you and express to your customers exactly what you stand for. Some key components of a well-built About page include pictures, self-biography, and company biography.
Pictures
Pictures convey trust. You are helping the customer put a face on the company. They feel like they are dealing with a person instead of some massive online company that doesn’t really care about them. In general, you want to have one picture per owner and a few more pictures of the whole team. Check out an example of a well-built About Us Page. Don’t be shy to show some personality in the pictures, especially if your website’s overall tone is fun and upbeat. Of course, the opposite is true if you are a divorce attorney. In that case, professionalism and showing achievements may be the better choice of pictures.
Self Biography
In a quick 2-3 paragraph section, you have the ability to show off your personality, what drives you, what you bring to the business, and what you stand for. A simple format to follow is as follows. Two sentences describing who you are and your position at the company. You can also add what you directly bring to the table. The following sentences should talk about your past achievements, what you are good at, what you stand for, and why you are so passionate about the job you are doing. This should be no longer than three short, well-written paragraphs. People want the opportunity to get to know you, and the about us page is the perfect place to let them know what you’re all about.
Company Biography
As curious as your customers are about you, they may even be more curious about your company as a whole. This is especially true if they have never heard about you and have no idea what your company stands for. In roughly two paragraphs, you have the opportunity to quell any fears your clients may have about going into business with you. As a campground owner, this is your chance to showcase how long your campground has been there, the impact you are making in the community, and what your company as a whole stands for. This is also the perfect place to shout out your amazing staff and how they help keep the whole operation running.
4. How to Improve Website User Experience Using a CRM/Focusing on Customer Service
When companies ask how to improve website user experience on the website, they often leave out one of the main components—customer Service. Too often, customer service is treated as an entirely different entity. This is especially true in larger businesses where many people need to communicate with one another. This means that many times everyone is not on the same page. The customer is unhappy because they have repeated the same information time and time again, and progress moves at a snail’s pace, if at all.
Customer service is essential to any company and can often make or break an otherwise great company. All it takes is one bad experience for a customer to leave and never come back. Or worse yet, leave and leave a terrible review that dissuades new customers from even giving you a try. Here’s the thing. Bad reviews and bad experiences will happen. If you are in customer service for a long enough time, eventually, something will go wrong. This is your chance to step up and ensure that the situation is handled correctly. There are a few things to ensure this process goes smoothly. Have a customer relationship manager in place or a CRM software, do your best to fix the problem as quickly as possible, and always offer an incentive for the customer to give you another chance to make it right.
A powerful CRM can make nearly all of your customer service headaches simply vanish. You will have all the information you need in an easy-to-access location. You have the ability to collect information such as items they have purchased, dates they have stayed at your campground, previous calls to your campground, and other important information that helps you build out exactly who you are talking to. The beauty of a well-built CRM is that all your customer service representatives have access to that information. With a quick look through the customer’s file, any representative will instantly understand who they are talking to and if they are currently experiencing an issue. Not only does this speed up Customer Service but the whole process. Which, in turn, makes the customer exponentially happier.
Fix the Problem Quickly
You can’t solve all the problems in just a few minutes, but the ones that can need to be. Going hand in hand with a well-built CRM solving problems quickly is a must. Customers don’t want to feel like they are spending their day fixing problems, especially if they should be doing a pleasant activity. For example, if you own a campground and have a customer complaining about a Wi-Fi issue, this needs to be addressed at once. Even if you can’t solve the problem immediately, the customer must feel as if you are doing everything in your power to get it done right away. Call in a maintenance specialist, fix the issue yourself, or offer some other solution to the customer.
Give an Incentive to Return
Eventually, you will have a complaint about your service. No matter how hard you try to do your best, there may be a day when you simply drop the ball. This is not the end of the world. Following the previously mentioned tips, you can regain control of the situation and show the customer how valuable they are to you. Continuing with the faulty Wi-Fi example, let’s say you could not fix the issue. In fact, the issue became so severe that the campsite became obsolete, and your customer had to move. Now, this customer may want to simply leave the park and find someplace else to stay and ask for a full refund. And in all honesty, they have every right to do so. You dropped the ball and did not deliver the excellent service that you have promised.
But this is now your opportunity to leave a lasting impact on your customer. A chance to change that negative review into a positive one, or at the very least into dissuading the customer from posting a negative review. You can learn a bit more about the power of reviews in this infographic instead of allowing that customer to leave your campground disgruntled and frustrated. Offer them a free stay. Maybe a few days, to a week. Of course, you will be losing money in the short term, but this is nothing compared to the possible damage a negative review could have. And you might even have turned this customer into a lifelong fan. Often it is the customers that we go the extra mile for after we admittingly dropped the ball that becomes our biggest supporters.
5. How to Improve Website User Experience Using Marketing
Marketing, or rather good marketing, is the most powerful tool business owners have at their disposal. A good marketing campaign can drive hundreds or thousands of new customers to their business. Best of all, when done right, it increases the customer’s experience on your website ten-fold. Effective marketing is not selling to your customers. Instead, you are showing your customers just how you can help them solve their biggest problems. As a campground owner, perhaps your customer’s biggest problem is finding a perfect vacation spot. Your job is to use effective marketing to show them why your campground is the perfect location for them to spend their summer vacation.
Effective marketing has the same personality and tone that you display on your website. You should be consistent across the board with your marketing, copy, design, and other aspects of your website and online presence. When marketing your campground, product, or service, you should be focusing on its benefits instead of its features. While it may be great that your campground contains a hiking trail, and what makes the trail so special. What benefits will your campgrounds visitors experience from hiking along the trail?
Finally, your marketing approach needs to have a clear call to action. One of the biggest mistakes inexperienced marketers make is getting one marketing campaign to do the whole job. Each campaign needs to have a specific goal. Common goals include getting sign-ups for email campaigns, increasing the number of bookings, and increasing your brand awareness. You can study and measure each of these campaigns to see their success rates. We understand this takes time, so we suggest running multiple campaigns at once and segmenting your audience into different groups to test each campaign’s effectiveness.
Marketing Tips
- Have a clear call to action.
- Focus on benefits instead of features.
- Use online as well as physical marketing.
- Solve your customer’s problems, don’t simply sell to them.
Tips and Reminders on How to Improve Website User Experience
Now that we have gone through five ways to increase website user experience, let’s do a quick recap of what we have learned. Implementing these steps will help you increase traffic to your website, increase customer engagement, increase conversions, and leave you with a happier customer base. You might also get the added benefit of increasing your campgrounds bottom line.
#1 Consistency
You and your brand need to be consistent across the board. This means the same colors, words, feel, and tone should all be the same. Having a strong copy and design team will help with this process, but it is possible to get this done with some time and effort. When tackling this task, have a mind map and map out how you plan to use certain colors, words, and design elements. This helps you remain organized and allows you to see how well your website intertwines with itself.
#2 Show Your Personality
Don’t be shy, be yourself. Use the about page to show your personality and your companies’ personality. Using just a few short paragraphs and some pictures, you can help build trust among your customers and potential customers. Allow them to learn about you and your backstory. Make your customers feel as if they are part of the family. Allowing them to get a sneak peek into your company’s history and your own background is a great way to increase trust.
#3 Have a Strong Call to Action
Having a goal in mind helps with a strong call to action. Knowing what you are asking of your customers makes it easy to create a strong call to action. Before you write a blog post, come up with a marketing campaign, or make any major changes to your website, remember how important it is to have a strong call to action. Your call to action needs to be clear, concise, and easy to follow. If even one of these criteria fails to be met, your call to action will not be as effective as it could have been. So, take your time in creating it, as it will make a huge difference in its effectiveness.
In Closing
Key takeaway: Adding personality to your website can happen in a few easy steps. The question: How to improve website user experience is answered by focusing on your website’s five major aspects; you will create a more congruent, user-friendly, and appealing website for your customers. Do not take any shortcuts when applying these approaches. If you are truly looking at how to improve website user experience, these are the steps that you will need to take to get the job done. While they may be time-consuming, they will be well worth it in the end. This article has outlined the major steps needed to transform and turn your website into a user-friendly, easy-to-visit website.
How You Can Begin to Tackle This Challenge
Tackling a challenge this big on your own can be extremely time-consuming and costly if you are unsure how to get the job done most efficiently. rvResortScout offers a free consultation to analyze your website’s creative design, which will help you figure out how to improve the website user experience on your website.
You will gain insights into how a color scheme, placement, and structure of content and design play a role in attracting and engaging customers. We will then provide you with a plan of action to help increase user experience on your website. This may be in the form of design placement, new copy, or updating your website’s feel, to name a few things. Our marketing specialist specializes in helping you drive more clients to your website and, conversely, your campground. So, if this sounds like something you’d be interested in, you can sign up for a free consultation. Additionally, if you’re interested in redesigning your website, learn about the Importance of good RV Park Website Design.
