The secrets behind growth-driving User Experience (UX)
User experience (UX) is a bit like tarmac – most people don’t really notice it unless it’s littered with holes.
Great UX makes it easy for users to engage with content and find what they need. It should be like an invisible hand that guides visitors from search to required content. Done right, it facilitates a seamless journey, paving the way for customer satisfaction, repeat interactions and brand loyalty.
On the other hand, UX that’s not been properly thought through is sure to lead to frustration. Confusing navigation paths, overwhelming designs, excessive pop-ups, error pages – these are all potential friction points for users.
So what do B2B brands need to consider when they’re thinking about their user experience? Let’s take a look at some of the key principles of seamless UX.
What is UX and why is it important?
A lot goes into great brand-boosting websites. Stylish visuals and snappy content can draw people in, but it’s UX that’s going to determine whether they stick around.
The key thing to remember is that users arrive on a website with a goal in mind, whether it’s learning about a service or simply gathering information. Frictionless UX facilitates this.
UX encompasses the usability, accessibility, design and functionality of a website. Basically, it’s what makes a website easy to use and navigate.
A website that prioritises UX not only enhances user satisfaction, but also supports broader business goals. After all, despite what you may have heard, a website is much, much more than a digital storefront — it’s a vital touchpoint for engagement and customer retention. It’s often the defining factor in how your brand is perceived.
In other words, quality UX is not something you can afford to neglect.
What are the key considerations for UX?
- Clear Information Hierarchy: Users should be able to locate key information quickly. This can be achieved with clear, logical headings, structured content and intuitive visual cues.
- Straightforward Navigation: An easy-to-follow journey reduces friction. Menus, calls-to-action (CTAs) and page structures should be designed to guide users effortlessly from one section to another.
- Consistent Design Elements: Fonts, colours and layouts should be uniform throughout the site to establish familiarity and predictability for users.
A well-designed website ensures that visitors aren’t left guessing where to go next. Instead, they feel in control of their journey, increasing the likelihood of meaningful engagement.
Making websites more accessible with UX
Accessibility goes beyond traditional usability principles; it should also account for the needs of neurodivergent users, such as those with autism, ADHD or dyslexia. By making digital spaces more inclusive, businesses can ensure that all users, regardless of circumstance, can successfully interact with their website.
Accessible UX should be:
- Easy to perceive: Content should be easy to distinguish. This includes sufficient colour contrast, clear typography and an option to adjust text size or background settings.
- Easy to operate: Users should be able to navigate a website effortlessly. Avoid overwhelming them with complex layouts, excessive animations or unnecessary interactions.
- Easy to comprehend: Content should be written in plain language, avoiding jargon where possible. Instructions and guidance should be simple and actionable.
These principles make websites more accessible to a broader range of users, fostering inclusivity and ensuring no visitor is left behind.
What does best practice UX look like?
Best practice UX is something we specialise in at The Think Tank. One recent example is our work to streamline the user journey on Oscar Acoustics’ website.
After being asked to review the existing site, we came back with a number of recommendations about how the user experience could be improved – which the client then invited us to implement.
Our goal was to smoothen the path from search to check-out. First, we worked with Oscar Acoustics to reorganise its product ranges, making it easier for users to find what they were looking for. We then added stronger call-to-actions, and added sleek visuals and friendly, easy to read typography, to enhance the overall UX.
The end result was an elegant and intuitive website that’s easy to navigate. Quality UX work, combined with stylish design, led to a 104% increase in site visitors and a major uptick in engaged sessions.
You can read more about the project here.
Prioritising UX for Long-Term Success
Simply put, good UX is good business. B2B brands that invest in accessible, user-friendly design benefit from improved customer satisfaction, increased engagement and stronger brand loyalty.
Talk to us today about how your website’s UX could be enhanced to fuel long-term growth.
