Learn how to improve your website’s user experience! For each mistake you’ll learn what usually happens and why, what it looks like, and what to do about it.

When we partnered with usability and marketing expert Paul Boag for a series of website UX reviews, we were impressed by the quantity and quality of useful information he was able to pack in 20-minute long videos. In this article, we collected 4 recurring problems Paul observed and easy ways to solve them.

Don’t let branding compromise usability

What usually happens and why

You've worked with a marketing agency to come up with an ad campaign, which includes building or redesigning your site. In order to stand out from the competition, it needs to be "edgy", "bold", "instantly recognizable", or perhaps "Millennial".

What it looks like

Your site looks more like a print ad than a website. Big photos and pithy phrases in large text, but not many clear invitations to action or navigational signposts.

What to do about it

Branding and user experience don't have to conflict. Just make sure that you have a clear goal in mind whenever you update your site.

At Balsamiq, we repeatedly ask, "what's the problem we're trying to solve?" Think about why someone has come to your website and what's the problem they're trying to solve.

If they're already on your site, then brand awareness has succeeded to some extent. Usability awareness looks at whether your audience can do what they want to do on your site. That might include things like creating an account, getting more information, requesting a demo, or downloading your product. Whatever it is, make that action prominent and unambiguous. And don't forget a clear statement of what your product or service does at the top!

Don’t let your content grow like a jungle

What usually happens and why

You have a very old site that multiple teams post content to. You're afraid (or not allowed) to delete content, so you end up with 10+ years worth of material that builds up like the junk in your attic or garage. The larger it gets, the harder it is to maintain.

What it looks like

Big menus, long lists of links, half-hearted attempts to highlight certain features with bright text that says "New!" or "Updated!" Outdated design trends (carousels, gradient menus, skeuomorphic graphics). Bonus points if the copyright date is more than 5 years old! 😉

What to do about it

This is one of the hardest challenges to solve. You somehow need to find a way to keep everything on the site, yet make it "feel" smaller. 🤔

The key paradigm shift that needs to happen is understanding that not all content is equal and doesn't need the same importance. When everything is important, nothing is important.

The best place to start is by doing a content audit to discover which pages are most visited and/or most popular (you can ask your support team or customers to help). Determine the top 15% of your content and focus on making it really easy to find. Use the home page to highlight that content and place smaller links further down the page to help viewers get to everything else. Ensure that the search works well so that users who know exactly what they're looking for can find it quickly.

Don’t assume your audience already knows what you do

What usually happens and why

Everyone inside the company knows exactly what the product does and what's great about it. It's become nearly impossible to see your product through the eyes of someone who has never been to your site before.

What it looks like

You don't mention basic information like what it does, why someone should buy it, and, most critically, why it's so good that they should abandon their existing solution (which they've already invested time, learning, and money in).

"Life's too short for bad software!" has been Balsamiq’s mission since day one. It's very meaningful to us because it extends beyond the tool. But, as Paul noted, that might not come across to people who don't know Balsamiq already.

When Paul got to the product page he praised it and said that it should be the home page.

What to do about it

Talk to your customers. Learn the words they use to describe their problem and your product. Focus on the problem you're solving, not the features of the tool.

Counter their objections. Is it too expensive? Am I locked into a contract? Is it reliable? Do other people like me use it?

An easy win is using testimonials. Not only do they speak in your customer's words, but they also add legitimacy to your product by showing that real people like it.

Always have a clear call to action

What usually happens and why

This often happens when a marketing team is not involved enough: Designers focus on what it looks like, and developers make sure it works on different browsers and screen sizes. You've got a site that looks and works great and everyone in the company loves it. But it hasn't been validated or tested with your audience.

What it looks like

This mistake can take many forms. But a clear indicator is the lack of a prominent link or button in the top half of the home page.

As you can see in its website review, RS Connect has a lot of text and imagery but no invitations to take action.

What to do about it

Ask yourself a simple question: What stands out on the page? Do the "Squint test" or show someone the page for 5 seconds and ask them what they could click on. On a great site, the desired action should be so clear that it's subconscious, almost automatic.

But you need an outside perspective. You, as an employee, will already know what to click. Your typical website visitor won't. Help your visitors take the next step.

Watching website reviews is a great way to learn how to improve your website’s user experience. Let us know if you’d like more articles about our video series! Just send us a message using the feedback form below.