There’s no question about the positive impact of a beautiful design on the success of your online business. Not only do web users prefer to consume beautifully designed content, but they’re likely to judge the credibility and trustworthiness of your company based on its visual branding. With all this in mind, it’s easy to say that brands must give sufficient focus to the appearance of their websites.
But are looks enough?
Well, aesthetics may determine the first impression users get of your website (and encourage web visitors to consider your brand as the solution to their needs). But they’re nothing without exceptional user experience. And what does website UX depend on? The degree to which you manage to make your website intuitive.
So what is intuitive website design? And does your business really need it? Read on to get the answers and learn how to ensure maximum success with your online presence.
What Is Intuitive Web Design?
The best way to describe intuitive web design is to say that it’s easy to use and understand.
To successfully use an intuitive site, a web visitor doesn’t have to go through a learning curve, think about the navigation process, or even consider their goal and the best methods to achieve it. Instead, they should be naturally presented with steps towards fulfilling their intention. With absolutely zero pushback. That means no dead-ends, no unnecessary actions, and no confusing information – just a straightforward path and an easy way to follow it.
How to Build a Natural Flow for Your Website
Achieving an intuitive UX is easier said than done. Even professional web designers sometimes make the mistake of adding too many complications to a part of a website that requires none.
So, it is for this reason that it’s good to have an intuitive website checklist. It should provide a set of easy-to-follow rules brands and designers consult whenever creating a new site or updating an old one.
The following four are four imperative elements of intuitive web design:
Layout
An intuitive website follows standardized layout rules, making navigation an “automatic process.” A great way to think about intuitive design is to consider what users are already used to seeing.
For example, take a look at the Google Chrome app for Mac OS. You’ll notice that it’s poorly optimized for Mac users, seeing how the close tab buttons are located on the right-hand side of tabs instead of the left-hand side, which is standard for Apple’s operating system.
So how do you ensure that your website’s layout is intuitive? In truth, it’s relatively easy. Pay attention to where you place your clickable logo, how you organize your navigation, and where you place your cart, search, and login tabs. If you don’t have a logo, there’s a lot of options, one of which we find interesting, using a logo maker. Day-Won does all of these successfully. Although, there is room for improvement in the hero section, where there’s not enough contrast between the visuals and the main CTA buttons.
Source: day-won.com
Furthermore, it’s not a bad idea to study the reading patterns web users prefer when consuming content. According to Nielsen, most people are likely to look at web pages in one of four ways. So, you can use this knowledge to organize elements on your web pages, ensuring that the most valuable elements end up in the correct positions.
Information availability
Another characteristic of intuitive websites is that they always present information in an entirely logical manner.
There’s no need for users to go on a quest to find product information or go through a 5-step program to get in touch with the brand. Instead, everything that matters is presented right when it’s supposed to.
For example, check out the homepage design of the Ultimate Meal Plans website. You’ll see how the hero section (containing the unique value proposition and main CTA button) scrolls into a simple explanation of how the service works, along with the CTA button. So, a user who lands on the site and is not immediately convinced by the hero section doesn’t need to scroll far to get relevant info. The how-it-works is shown right where it’s supposed to.
Source: ultimatemealplans.com
Another excellent example of a website with intuitive information availability comes from Nomad. This brand has some of the most in-depth product pages you’ll find, but they still uphold a minimalistic look. All the product details are presented in convenient drop-down menus. The brand uses images and video, and there are handy technical specifications available that tell users exactly what to expect from each item.
Source: nomadgoods.com
Website performance
The thing about intuitive sites and software is that they work almost instantly, regardless of the user’s device, screen size, OS, or computer tech specs (as far as that’s possible).
Moreover, there’s no room for errors with great websites. Every possible action leads to a logical destination, eliminating user frustration and ensuring that they stick around until they’ve successfully completed their goal (which is, ideally, after they’ve converted).
To provide an intuitive experience in this regard, you’ll need to do three things:
- Conduct proper audience research to identify who it is you’re creating a website for. Is your audience tech-savvy? Are they looking for information on the go? How big of an investment are they prepared to make in your products? Think of it this way: a car purchase is bound to require a more involved shopping process than ordering a new charging cable. So, while a business selling iPhone accessories may want to make the shopping process extremely simple, there’s little chance that a person buying a car will want to make use of a one-click checkout feature.
- Optimize your website for conversions. Shorten page loading times, ensure a mobile-friendly design, polish your microcopy, and invest in SEO. Even something as elementary as using H2 and H3 heady styles in your blog posts can make your audience more likely to turn into customers.
- Test performance and follow analytics. The best way to see whether your design is intuitive is to check for pages that perform poorly. Does your landing page have a high bounce rate? Perhaps that’s because its layout isn’t logical enough. Or, perhaps, it’s not answering user intent and is contributing to a negative impression of your brand.
Branding
Finally, all intuitive websites feature prominent branding elements and messaging, ensuring that it’s perfectly clear from the get-go what they’re about.
A visitor who lands on an intuitive website doesn’t need to go to the brand’s About or Features page to learn about the products/services. All they have to do is take a look at the hero section and know what they can expect.
To achieve that effect, make sure that your branding is on-point and consistent throughout your digital channels. Moreover, be clear about what you offer so that potential customers know precisely what they can expect.
For example, SaaS company Finli does an excellent job at employing branding elements to achieve intuitiveness. The visuals used are those from the app itself. The unique value proposition states how the software makes payment scheduling easy. And, the CTA button points out that there’s a free trial option for new users.
Source: finli.com
Final Thoughts: Is There Room for Innovation In Intuitive Web Design?
Considering the essential elements of intuitive web design, one could conclude that meeting user expectations is imperative and that innovation has no place in a well-made website. But that isn’t entirely true.
Yes, you should stick to effective, well-established UX practices when creating a website for your business. But, you should not settle for inefficient solutions. Especially if they are illogical for what your clients are setting out to achieve.
What you need to do instead is find the perfect solution for your audience’s needs. And for that, you must be prepared to do research, test all key design elements, and keep up to date with the latest research on web design.
Yes, it’s a lot of work. But do it well, and you’re bound to see results in the form of higher conversion rates and positive brand perception.
