UX design: The key to success in 2024

User Experience (UX) is focused on a user’s interactions with a brand, product or service and involves multiple disciplines, including interaction design and usability.

A UX specialist must strike a balance between user needs and business goals, with the goal being to make a website “user-friendly” and to create a relationship between users and the brand.

“With a resourceful UX, we can remove the ‘traps’ that might otherwise interfere in a smooth shopping process. As a result, we propose steps to create a seamless and easy customer journey, the goal of which is the completion of a purchase.”

UX as a competitive advantage

Quality UX design is not only about aesthetics, but also about how customers perceive and interact with your product or service. The trust that the customer acquires when shopping is a valuable asset that helps strengthen your position against the competition. By improving your UX, you not only increase conversions but also gain loyal customers.

“An important aspect of UX design is its ability to build a brand. A high-quality user experience when making a purchase is not only an agreeable addition; it is also an effective tool for strengthening a competitive position.”

Data-based UX design reduces the level of sudden departures, or the “bounce rate”. When customers can navigate your website easily and intuitively, they are less likely to leave for a competing website. Even though it is only one of many decision-making factors when making a purchase, a quality UX design helps keep customers in the e-shop as long as possible.

Close cooperation with several industries

UX design is a multidisciplinary field that collaborates with various disciplines and fields with the aim of creating products and services that are effective and enjoyable for users.

UX and UI

UX and UI (User Interface) are two important aspects when designing digital products or services. The UX focuses more on the user experience, while the UI deals with the interactions between the user and the digital product, including the appearance, interactivity and intuitiveness of elements like icons, buttons, typography, colours, images and responsive design.

UX and UI work closely together to create quality digital products.

UX designers determine user needs with the aim of creating an optimal user experience. Then UI designers arrive and take care of visual elements like colours, typography and graphic elements. The work of UI designers is crucial in mediating and supporting UX design.

UX and SEO 

Cooperation occurs on several levels in the framework of SEO and UX. For example, Core Web Vitals is a set of metrics that Google considers when ranking websites.

It includes the loading speed, interactivity and visual stability of a webpage. These are among the most important factors that affect the user’s experience, along with image handling and even the arrangement of elements on the page.

What does this look like in a specific example?

SEO is generally concerned with covering a specific page with relevant keywords. If we are creating a new, SEO-friendly categorisation on an e-shop, we always try to use searched keywords and phrases in the category names.

Sometimes, however, a menu with an ideal categorisation will look like this:

Level 1: Toys for children

Level 2: Toys for children from 1 year old

Level 2: Toys for children from 2 years old

Level 2: Toys for children from 3 years old

Level 2: Toys for children from 4 years old…

But such a form of categorisation is inappropriate from the user's point of view. An ideal structure should take the form:

Level 1: Toys for children

Level 2: From 1 year old

Level 2: From 2 years old

Level 2: From 3 years old

Level 2: From 4 years old…

In such cases, there is a compromise between SEO aspects and UX design, since website visitors should always come first. After all, we build the e-shop for them, not for search engines.

UX and IT

Close cooperation between IT and UX is necessary for achieving high-quality digital products that satisfy user needs and are at the same time technically functional.

Together, they share in the development and optimisation of the e-shop itself. UX deals with the design of the user experience, including the page design, structure and navigation.

IT implements these designs and ensures that the site is secure and reliable. The cooperation brings technical solutions which make shopping in the e-shop convenient, make data loading and display problem-free, and means there are no confusing moments in important situations, for example, at payment gateways or sending an order.

UX analysis – Step by step

Analysis of an e-shop according to Janka

Our UX Consultant, Janka Polláková, has several years of experience with the UX analyses of various websites. She deals not only with the analysis of sales e-shops, but also of presentation pages.

She told us how she goes about analysing an e-shop, which can inspire you, too:

1. “When looking at e-shops, I start the analytical process by analysing the home page, which is one of the most visited pages on any e-shop. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the main landing page that campaigns link to (and in fact, it shouldn’t be). But users do often return to the home page during their customer journey, because they consider it to be the safest and most unambiguous page for them, which they can always reach from any subpage of the e-shop (most often via a link on the logo image). It is something like a starting point and also the safest point in the e-shop. This is why we must pay attention to the quality of the homepage. It is important to clearly communicate what the e-shop or service is about, what competitive advantages it offers, what categories it has, or add a sample of products and a lot of other details.
2. I then continue with an analysis of the overall navigation, the main menu and the search bar.
3. Next, I typically move to categories where I explore a wide range of aspects including filters, product card display, pagination and product sorting options.
4. When browsing products, I rely on traffic analysis and I make sure I view several product pages with regard to different variants and subcategories. I devote special attention to data from Google Analytics, which helps me identify the most visited product.
5. I next examine the individual steps of the shopping cart in detail, where I also place a test order.
6. In the blog section, I mainly check the readability, form and clarity of the blog articles. If appropriate, I recommend what can be done to enrich the articles.
7. If the e-shop also works with its own section for registered users or has a loyalty system, I will critically assess whether the programme is sufficiently efficient and whether its use brings benefits for the user and the brand. An important part of registration to loyalty programmes are e-mail notifications, such as signing up for a newsletter; here I check whether they reliably arrive. At the same time, I examine the availability of quick login options through social networks.
8. Simultaneously with analysing the webpage, I also check related data in tracking tools, which often help me recognise potential problems (so-called pain points). Of course, in the individual sections of the website, I also notice the accessibility for different user groups, the use of elements, the degree of contrast, campaign pop-ups and other elements that potential customers will come across on the webpage and which may influence them during their purchase journey.

I regularly follow domestic and foreign studies and research from relevant institutions. I then attach them to the analysis output.”

Janka concludes by adding that each UX analysis is specific in itself. A UX specialist should find his or her own approach for web analysis. What is ultimately important is to understand the needs and expectations of users as comprehensively as possible.

How to measure and evaluate UX?

Clarity

Microsoft's Clarity helps monitor the user experience on websites and apps with clicks, heatmaps, and session analytics. Clarity is a free tool that captures how people use your site.

The page declares that: “setup is simple and you’ll start getting data within minutes”. Clarity also easily integrates with other tools for advanced analysis.

Hotjar

Hotjar has a similar use as Clarity but excels with more extensive functions. You’ll also find a free version of this tool, but you have to pay extra for its full use.

Hotjar offers the option to access recordings directly from users, and these allow you to track how users interact with websites and applications. Hotjar is easily used and rapidly implemented, making it a popular tool for optimising digital products.

“Be careful with third-party tools you use on websites. Hotjar or Clarity are among the tools that reduce the loading speed of the website in the long term. I always recommend that the clients turn measuring on only at a time when they need results from it. If the website isn’t being monitored, we can shut down the tool.”

Optimizely

Optimizely is a universal tool that plays a major role in the field of UX design and optimisation. It is known mainly for its A/B testing and experimentation skills.

It also supports multivariate tests and personalisation. With the help of Optimizely, you can improve your digital product and ensure an exceptional user experience.

“The UX design itself requires patience. Its success is measurable over the long term.”

System Usability Scale (SUS)

A set of complex questions is used to measure user satisfaction and the usability of a product or system. SUS is based on a survey in which users assess and rate various aspects of the system. It is made up of a 10-item questionnaire with five answer options for respondents; from Strongly agree to Strongly disagree. This tool provides important information for designing and improving the user experience.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is used for tracking metrics related to user behaviour on websites. Using it, you can track, among other things, bounce rate, exit rate or average time spent on the page along with various other interactions.

The most common UX mistakes

When analysing the user experience, common mistakes often occur that can have a major impact on how users perceive e-shops. Janka told us about the mistakes she most often sees in e-shops.

Communicate your competitive advantage clearly to the customer

The landing page is a critical element when a customer first encounters a website. Information websites have it a bit more difficult than e-shops. In the scope of selling products, it is clear to customers upon the first viewing what they will find on the site if they come across specific products that can be purchased on the site.

The visitor must find out from the site what service or product you offer or possibly define your brand identity.

“It must be clear from the first glance whether your website is purely informative, offers a service or is an e-shop. Don’t expect that customers will leave you a conversion or a lead if they don't know where it is.”

Don’t be afraid to communicate your competitive advantages across the entire webpage. The advantage of the homepage also in its displaying customer reviews or best-selling products. In the end, this will strengthen the impression you make on your visitors.

OpiTip: According to a recent survey, up to  67% of brands do not respond to negative reviews. Reviews serve as a persuasive factor and customers notice them – especially the negative ones. Respond to customer reviews. Not responding to them leaves a doubly bad impression.

An understandable menu

The ideal menu for an e-shop should be simple and understandable, with clear categories and descriptions. A hierarchical arrangement enables easy navigation through subcategories and product filtering. 

“In the case of an e-shop with a wide range of products and the need for a ‘mega menu’, it is wise to consider visual elements that will allow visitors to find the required information faster and more efficiently. Such elements may be icons or, for example, colour highlighting of popular categories. Visual elements enable rapid orientation and contribute to an efficient shopping process. An example can be the categorisation of our partner Factcool.”

Correct visualisation of products

Appropriately visualised products or services on the webpage are key to not misleading customers. High-quality photos or a sample of the given service increases credibility and helps customers better identify what you have on offer.

“A specific product should mainly be displayed on the main product image, so that no other distracting elements confuse the potential customer. For example, with fabrics, show a piece of fabric, not a piece of clothing made from that fabric. In a fashion e-shop, show mainly the product detail, not the complete outfit, which consists of several pieces of clothing.”

Choose the right colour combination

The UI designer is in charge of how to build a visual and functional website, selecting the colours and the overall look. Since this issue is closely tied to UX and is a phenomenon that e-shops usually do not deal with properly, Janka does not underestimate it.

“Precisely define the palette of colours and ensure their adequate contrasts, especially in the case of important buttons. Colour schemes should be sufficiently distinctive and clearly distinguishable with the aim of increasing usability and clearly differentiating important action elements.”

The correct use of colours is important for achieving effective communication of information on the webpage and ensuring an optimal user experience.

There are approximately 2 billion people in the world with visual impairments. An poorly chosen combination of colours for the text or the background of the text can complicate the readability of the text. Mainly follow the needs of the target group. When designing the colours, you can be inspired by the psychology of colours.

Focus on recommended element sizes for a webpage

The correct use of elements on a webpage is another key aspect of UX design. A website that is comfortable to use improves user satisfaction, lowers bounce rates and increases conversions. But good website usability does not have to be only about pleasant processing of the home page or products. Also keep the details in mind:

“Don’t forget that the details are also crucial. I often encounter the so-called Fat Finger Syndrome when analysing a webpage. This is a situation when users accidentally click on the wrong area or button on the screen because of the relatively small size of on-screen elements (buttons, links). This can lead to unintended actions, such as selecting the wrong option or redirecting the user to an unwanted place. For example, Apple recommends a minimum size of 44 x 44 px for on-screen elements, while Android recommends a size of 48 x 48 dp (device-independent pixels). Make sure that all the interactive surfaces on your website are large enough.”

What are the current trends in UX?

AI in collaboration with UX

Artificial intelligence is today a common part of our lives as well as the work of UX designers.

In simpler terms, AI is an aid to the UX designer in text editing, such as naming buttons or constructing headings.

AR in the limelight

Even e-shops have already begun using the benefits of augmented reality (AR) to sell their products. With the help of a webcam alone customers can try on glasses or a lipstick colour from the comfort of their own home.

In a more complex sense, AR can also be used in real-time visualisations. For example, Ikea offers easy viewing of the product catalogue (IKEA Creative) and then combines them in realistic spaces. The products can be moved, rotated and adjusted as needed.

Users want personalised products

Each of us has different needs and in some cases we require customised products. Offer customers specific ways you can adapt to their needs.

A perfect example is Netflix. Thanks to automation, it makes each account unique in that the algorithm suggests movies and series based on your viewing history.

“Personalisation requires a lot of data, on the basis of which algorithms make decisions. The data may contain information about the categories or products visited or the length of time a product was viewed. It is also possible to obtain information directly from the customer – to request additional voluntary data already in the customer’s profile (after registration).

You can use the size of clothing or shoes in a fashion e-shop as an example of personalisation. Online pharmacies work, for example, with data on food, where they display possible allergens. With a pet-focused e-shop, you can work with data about a specific type of animal. When obtaining the mentioned data for individual e-shops, you can use various plugins to display a personalised offer of products.”

Make mobile accessibility a priority

The data says that up to 95.8% of users primarily use mobile devices to browse the Internet. Thus, the issue of focusing on mobile phones is not only current; it is also essential.

Therefore, don’t forget about accessibility – Web Accessibility for customers who are sensory impaired and use their mobile devices for shopping. This is a group of people who are mostly forgotten when dealing with accessibility.

OpiTip: Despite the trend of using mobile devices, don’t forget about the overall functionality across different devices. Customise the webpage interface so that the cross-device experience is as good as possible.

You’ll avoid a lot of problems with a UX audit

UX design is constantly evolving and plays a key role in a successful e-shop. A user-friendly design will not only increase customer satisfaction on the webpage; it will also build their loyalty and the success of the product or brand.

If you have more specific questions and challenges with your e-shop, don’t hesitate to contact our consultant – Janka Polláková.