customer experience (cx) and website design

Is your website design on copy taking customer experience into account? 

Did that question make you pause? If so, take a deep breath and dive in. I’ve got you covered.

First of all, lets get the background out of the way.

What is a Customer Experience strategy? 

When you think about customer experience (CX) it is probably one of those things that you know it when you see it, right? We all know when we walk away feeling as if something was a great experience or when we walk away frustrated and feeling as if it wasnt. But, why is that? What is the root of CX?

Basically, it is the strategy behind every single touchpoint and interaction you have had (or will have) with a brand before, during and even after working with them. It includes understanding the different types of experiences: prosiac, mindful, memorable, meaningful, and transformational and creating touchpoints that coincide with each. Some of these touchpoints won’t even be noticed by your customer, and that is exactly the point. (For more on the five types of experiences read Designing Experiences). ​​

A quick overview of the types of experiences:

Prosaic: these are experiences that we don’t even really process or remember. Like brushing your teeth, or anything that you do on a regular basis/autopilot. 

Mindful: experiences that you’re a little more aware of, but still aren’t necessarily memorable, like switching your go-to coffee order

Memorable: typically with memorable experiences there’s a bit of emotion tied in. We don’t necessarily remember key moments of our childhood, but we do remember key emotions! 

Meaningful: this is when your emotions tie in with an experience that teach you something about yourself. 

Transformational: Your emotions and  your self discovery spur a change in your behavior. 

So what does customer experience have to do with your website?

Remember the definition of CX - it has to do with brand interactions before during and after… before someone is working with you officially, they are most likely looking at your social media and your website. 

But here’s the thing. Just because some experiences can be transformational does not mean that we want ALL experiences to be transformational. Sometimes, a great CX is simply one that gets us what we want, without too much thought. 

So the first step in a strong customer experience on your website is to master the basics.

1 Is your website easy to navigate? Can a reader find everything they’re looking for, easily? 

If not, take a look at your navigation, your pages, and ask yourself how to simplify your website strategy. How can you make your website more clear? Can you rename pages? Switch up Calls to Action? How do you let a reader know what they will find when they click on a link? 

2 Do you have all the information your readers are looking for?

There’s nothing more frustrating than searching a website looking for an answer to a specific question and realizing you aren’t going to find it. Personally, I see this often with pricing. For a long time it was recommended that you leave your pricing off your website. That way people would be forced to inquire, you’d capture thier information, and get them on a sales call to close the deal. But, that way of thinking is going by the wayside. Now, in 2022 I won’t even inquire if a service provider doesn’t list pricing, because I don’t want to waste my time or theirs if budget expectations don’t align. Do what feels right for you, but ask yourself - what details are readers looking for that they won’t find? 

3 What language are you using? 

Are you communicating with your ideal audience in a way they want to be communicated with? This has to do with brand voice but also your ICA research. Using Voice-of-Customer is the simplest way to make sure that your website’s visitors feel right at home reading your website. Because, it is their words! The thoughts in their head! 

4 Are you considering their emotions?

Now on your website, I’d say there are two phases to emotions that we want to consider. The first is: don’t cause negative emotions. This has to do with all of the above - don’t allow your reader to be frustrated with poor navigation, lack of answers, or a brand voice they struggle to understand. If you’re doing all of these things you’re probably staying pretty firmly in the prosaic experience. And honestly, I’m good with that. If you wanted to spice things up a bit, you can consider how to cause some positive emotions, how to lean into mindful or even memorable experience with your website alone. This may look like some particularly spicy copy or even custom-coded features that cause your reader to really snap out of the prosaic and notice what is happening on the screen. 

Why not aim for transformational every time?

When I first dove into Customer Experience the thing I was shocked by was that most of our experience are prosaic, and that is okay. We can’t over-design or overcomplicate experiences to the point that 1) we as service providers are incapable of managing the expectations we’ve created for ourselves (aka having too many touchpoints of the wrong kind). And 2) if every experience is memorable, meaningful and transformational… are any of them actually memorable, meaningful, or transformational? Probably not. 

What’s next?

What questions do you have about Customer Experience as it relates to your website design? Send me an email becca@beccawood.com and I’d be happy to answer. If you’re looking for a fresh website or a redesign, visit my website services page for more information and to inquire!