Have you ever tried to read a blog article and wished the font was larger? Have you ever tried to make a purchase online, and it took too many steps to finish? Have you ever tried to click so many times because it was so small? Have you ever misinterpreted the navigation icons on a mobile app? Have you ever found yourself lost on the next step to take on a website?

If you’ve experienced any of these issues, you know what a UX issue feels like. And no, for those who use UX and UI (user interface) interchangeably, they do not mean the same thing. UX focuses on site performance and visitor perception, while UI is simply about site visuals, aesthetics, and interactivity. So at most, UI is a subset of UX.

UX is so important it has a direct impact on your site conversation. The link between UX and conversion is enough for you to believe in UX optimization. But it doesn’t teach you how to go about it. To get you started, we’ve listed a few UX common mistakes you can stop making today to reposition yourself rightly.

UX is so important it has a direct impact on your site conversation. The link between UX and conversion is enough for you to believe in UX optimization. But it doesn’t teach you how to go about it. To get you started, we’ve listed a few UX common mistakes you can stop making today to reposition yourself rightly.

Mistakes You Are Probably Making

Not considering the user’s needs and goals

Not considering the user’s needs and goals refers to the idea that the design of a product or interface should be based on an understanding of what the user wants to achieve and what their needs are. This means that the design should be centred around helping the user achieve their goals, rather than around the goals or preferences of the design team or the business. If the design does not meet the user’s needs or help them achieve their goals, it is likely to be unsuccessful and result in a poor user experience. It is important to consider the user’s needs and goals at every stage of the design process, from research and planning to prototyping and testing.

Ignoring usability best practices

Ignoring usability best practices refers to the idea that designers should follow established principles and guidelines for creating user-friendly interfaces. These principles and guidelines, known as usability best practices, are based on research and experience and are designed to help ensure that an interface is easy to use, efficient, and effective. Some examples of usability best practices include

  • Keeping the interface simple and uncluttered
  • Making the interface visually appealing
  • Using standard UI elements and conventions
  • Providing clear and concise instructions and labels
  • nsuring that the interface is responsive and works well on different devices

Ignoring usability best practices can lead to user frustration and a poor user experience, as users may find it difficult or confusing to use the interface. It is important for designers to be familiar with usability best practices and to follow them when designing interfaces.

Failing to test with real users

Failing to test with real users refers to the idea that it is important to test the design of a product or interface with actual users to identify any problems or areas for improvement. Testing with real users can help ensure that the design is effective and meets the needs of the intended audience. There are a variety of methods that can be used to test with real users, including user interviews, usability testing, and focus groups. It is important to test with a representative sample of users to ensure that the design is effective for a wide range of people.

Not testing with real users can result in a design that is not effective or that does not meet the needs of the intended audience. This can lead to a poor user experience and may result in the product or interface being unsuccessful. It is important to incorporate user testing into the design process to identify and address any issues before the product or interface is released.

Not having a clear hierarchy of information

Not having a clear hierarchy of information is a common UX mistake that can make it difficult for users to find what they are looking for and understand the content on a website or app. A clear hierarchy helps users understand the relationship between different pieces of information and makes it easier for them to navigate the site or app. It is important to organise content in a logical and easy-to-follow manner, using clear and concise language, headings, and subheadings to help users understand the hierarchy of the information.

Using non-standard UI elements

Using non-standard UI elements, or user interface elements that do not follow established design conventions, can be a common UX mistake. These elements can confuse users and make it difficult for them to use a website or app because they may not know how to interact with them or may expect them to behave differently. It is important to use standard UI elements that are familiar to users in order to create a smooth and intuitive experience.

Not considering mobile users

Not considering mobile users is a common UX mistake that can lead to a poor user experience for those accessing a website or app on a mobile device. With the increasing use of mobile devices, it is important to ensure that websites and apps are optimized for mobile devices. This includes ensuring that the layout and design are responsive, that the content is easy to read and navigate on a small screen, and that the site or app loads quickly on mobile networks. Failing to consider mobile users can result in a frustrating experience that may lead them to abandon the site or app.

Not using clear and concise language

Not using clear and concise language is a common UX mistake that can make it difficult for users to understand the content on a website or app. It is important to use language that is easy to read and understand, and to avoid using jargon or technical terms that may be unfamiliar to users. Using clear and concise language helps users to quickly and easily understand the content, which can improve the overall user experience.

Not providing clear feedback

Not providing clear feedback is a common UX mistake that can make it difficult for users to understand what is happening and what they need to do next. It is important to provide users with clear feedback in the form of error messages, confirmation messages, and other notifications in order to help them understand what is happening and what they need to do. This can improve the overall user experience and reduce frustration.

There are still many web owners that are unaware of how to identify and deal with a UX problem. User experience has to do with every single element linked to your customer’s interaction and satisfaction with your website provided by good Graphics Design Company.

Have you ever tried to read a blog article and wished the font was larger? Have you ever tried to make a purchase online, and it took too many steps to finish? Have you ever tried to click so many times because it was so small? Have you ever misinterpreted the navigation icons on a mobile app? Have you ever found yourself lost on the next step to take on a website?

If you’ve experienced any of these issues, you know what a UX issue feels like. And no, for those who use UX and UI (user interface) interchangeably, they do not mean the same thing. UX focuses on site performance and visitor perception, while UI is simply about site visuals, aesthetics, and interactivity. So at most, UI is a subset of UX.

UX is so important it has a direct impact on your site conversation. The link between UX and conversion is enough for you to believe in UX optimization. But it doesn’t teach you how to go about it. To get you started, we’ve listed a few UX common mistakes you can stop making today to reposition yourself rightly.

Mistakes You Are Probably Making

Implementing Every Design Trend

Design and development trends come and go; applying all of them will be a terrible idea any way you look at it. If not, you may have to be updating your design and functionality more than necessary, because trends go out of style quickly. Besides, when you clutter your pages with lots of designs, users find it difficult to navigate your page or get useful information.

Allow your visitors to settle on your website or mobile app design and structure long enough to become intuitive. If not, you’ll be losing out on a serious element of branding. It is easier to avoid this problem if you have a comprehensive site/product development plan that accurately details the feel and functionality that makes the most sense for your audience/customers.

Of course, this doesn’t mean to avoid trends altogether. But you need to select trends intentionally. If they are evergreen trends and also align with your plan, feel free to give them a whirl. Also, understand that just because you can design it doesn’t mean that you need to. Designers often fall into the loop of over-designing, but simplicity is usually best.

Relegating Functionality for Aesthetics

Have you ever come across a site with impressive visuals, but then you clicked a button and realized you were in for a terrible experience? This scenario is what plays out when a web owner places aesthetics above performance. While UI is necessary, it will work against you if the UX is not as good or better. Your customers want a pleasant and hiccup-free experience while surfing your site or mobile app. They want to have options as they explore your site. Imagine if the writing review website Writing Judge relied more on aesthetics than functionality. It would lose the ton of users who go onto the website for their writing services.

Experiential issues include unresponsive buttons, confusing tabs, slow loading time, and more. These issues will significantly influence their perception and decision regarding your digital product. So choose the right theme that meets the visual objective of your website.

However, never skimp on design. If you have to hire an expert to design a performance-focused site, do so. Remember that functionality connects directly to the UX of your site. And it extends to your social sharing buttons, newsletters, personalized emails, etc. So that is why every process should run smoothly and evenly so your customers get the best satisfaction. While functionality is crucial, you should try to find a balance between creativity and functionality. A great looking site is what gets the attention of the user to explore further. When it lacks excitement, readers will be forced to look elsewhere.

Aiming Your Design at Yourself and Search Engines

This is a UX, as well as a content issue. Imagine if you were looking for a paper writing service on Online Writers Rating, and every review, website copy, and CTA buttons are keyword-stuffed with little knowledge that you can relate to. You would most likely continue your search elsewhere.

This is what happens when you prioritize search engines or your design ideas at the expense of your UX efforts. Of course, ranking is essential. But at the end of the day, your website’s performance will be determined by how satisfied your visitors are with it.

Thus the reader comes first while search engines come second when you’re taking your website page design into consideration. Since, your website and all it entails is ultimately for your audience, not for your sensibilities or search engines. Because here’s the thing: search engines will end up ranking you higher if your website consistently posts good numbers in excellent user experience.

Using CTAs as a Weapon

If a web page has more calls to action than content, the user experience will be much worse for it.

Web owners have actions they want every visitor to take on their site. And that’s all good—until they try to force it down your throat. It’s not difficult to find websites that hit you with all sorts of popups and ads when you’re merely trying to read an article or browse through it.

The result? They make your reading experience extremely unsatisfying and possibly lose you as a potential customer.

Don’t make this mistake. Focus on building a relationship with your visitors for the long term. Don’t push your calls to action at the risk of messing up the user experience. Yes, be clear about the actions you want them to take, but never do it forcefully. If anything, a customer’s knowledge of your website will organically teach them what your most desired action is without having to bludgeon them with it. And if you have some difficulty coming up with relevant and useful content, you can get external help. There are custom writing review sites like Best Writers Online that can help come up with the right content to improve your UX.

Interpreting the Rules of UX the Same Way across Devices

The mobile, desktop, and tablet experiences are very different. Assuming that they are the same is a recipe for UX disaster. If you’ve been focusing solely on desktop visitors—which would be weird in this day and age—you may be lost on what defines a good user experience on mobile devices. Over half of the world’s population is mobile phone users. So it is safe to say that mobile users are a highly important group to cater to.

For instance, on mobile, tiny buttons and links are a conversion assassin. Likewise a form with a lot of fields and content with unreadable or extra small fonts. Or a page that needs to be pinched or zoomed to fit the screen size. None of these situations bode well for mobile conversion. In comparison, they do not present nearly the same amount of friction for desktop users.

What to do? Treat all your traffic as device-specific (even software-specific— like Android vs. iOS) and optimize UX separately on each. Reduce to the barest minimum the number of clicks and screens a user has to go through for any action. You can also carry out some testing on mobile devices so you can get a feel for the UX, before you launch. Ensure that the buttons and other visual elements appear correctly in the ideal font size. The navigation elements should also run smoothly on smaller screens.

Not Using Prototypes

For all the good unique design does, there is always the risk of designing yourself out of established design prototypes. Web owners and developers sometimes chase the uniqueness of design to a counter-productive level.

This pursuit puts conversion at risk. This is because the web owner’s app or site now looks so different from their audience’s established perception of what it should be like. For instance, e-commerce sites traditionally have their Cart button at the top right corner of the page. Mobile apps usually position their navigation tabs/options along the screen’s bottom. The schedule button is typically a calendar icon.

What happens when you change any of these? It won’t help you stand out—at least not in any way that is positive and helps your conversions. Unpredictability and complexity are enemies of good UX, so stick to established prototypes. Your customers won’t enjoy an intuitive experience if you don’t.

Final Words

While UX is rightly becoming a huge point of focus for web owners, it also means a more significant possibility of making these common mistakes. To circumvent these issues, understand UX’s core principles and take them to heart.

You don’t want to get visitors onto your website only to lose them because of poor functionality. Avoiding these common mistakes will move you in the right direction for your optimization and analysis efforts.