In this blog post, we will be discussing 9 rules that you can use to create a great website experience for your customers. User experience is the key ingredient to a successful website and these tips will help make sure your site isn't a turn-off. From offering an intuitive design to providing value at every opportunity, these ideas are simple but powerful ways to improve customer satisfaction on your site.

Rule no 1: Make your website user-friendly

Your website can make or break your success, right? Doesn't matter how many people are visiting your site if they can't figure out what to do or why they're even there in the first place. You have a lot of options when it comes to improving user experience on your site, but one of the most important is designing an easy-to-use navigation system for customers and prospects alike.

As easy as it seems to be, it is not. And you have to be careful with it.

We are sure you have at least once experienced frustration when you were at a messy website. That's why you probably know that it's much easier for your audience to focus on the valuable content and design of your website when they are able to navigate there freely. You can use headless CMS to make working on your website a breeze. 

Rule no 2: Provide value and helpful information

No matter how big or small the moment is, make sure that your customers and prospects are getting something out of their time on your site. This could be as simple as a newsletter subscription form in order to stay up-to-date with industry changes and new blog posts (and we'll discuss more this later), but it could also be something more complex like converting visitors into leads. You can also take advantage of affiliate marketing on your website. It is worth taking an interest in it because it has great potential!

Rule no 3: Install a live chat widget

In today's online world, people want to be able to get an answer as soon as possible. If your site offers a service or product that is integral in the purchasing decision of customers and prospects alike, then having a live chat widget on your website just makes sense. Some businesses have even found success with offering 24/11 customer support because their target audience expects quick responses from companies in order for them to remain competitive. Implementing a live chat is so beneficial, so consider it when creating a great website experience.

Rule no 4: Make sure your website looks good on mobile devices

Source: D Net Marketing

This should be a no-brainer, but you would be surprised at how many sites are still not mobile-friendly. If your website looks like it wasn't designed for smartphone devices, then this could lead to frustrated customers and prospects who abandon their cart before purchasing anything because they couldn't find what they were looking for on the site. And remember that Google is starting to give priority rankings to sites that work well with smartphones over ones that don't! If you care about your visits and your overall marketing, make your website mobile-friendly.

Rule no 5: Introduce push notifications on your website

Push notifications have been around for a while now, but that doesn't mean they're not still effective. If you want to be able to engage your customers and prospects with offers and announcements without being too pushy about it, then this is the way to do it.

There are two times you can add push notifications when creating a website experience. The first is in between sessions, so when someone has been on your site and then leaves - perhaps they've checked out of the shopping cart or abandoned the purchase process. You could use that time for an offer notification inviting them back to complete their purchase.

The second place you can add push notifications is just after someone has finished with your site, immediately as they're leaving or a few seconds later. In that case, it's likely to be an announcement of some kind - perhaps time-sensitive and meant only for those who have been on the site in this session.

Rule no 6: Showcase testimonials and social proof

Social proof is one of the most effective ways to gain trust online. Testimonials and reviews from previous customers will give prospects an opportunity to learn more about you, your company and what other people think about doing business with you or buying from you.

A great way to add social proof is with a simple widget that shows the logos of your top customers. You can also show quotes from reviews or display some video testimonials you've received from previous customers on your site. Just make sure not to overdo it - if you're too pushy about this kind of content, then people will feel like you're trying to advertise and they'll become annoyed.

Rule no 7: Use CTA to show what you want your audience to do

A call to action (CTA) is a phrase or image that tells your audience what you want them to do. You might have some great product offers, so you can tell people about those with CTA buttons and icons on your site. Or perhaps it's something less direct - maybe just inviting visitors to signup for an email newsletter so they can stay informed about what's going on with you. A CTA lets your audience know that something is expected of them and they're more likely to respond when it feels like a natural progression in the flow of their experience on your site.

Remember that your unique CTA can be used even later, in many other cases. For example, during webinars that you run regularly. What's more, you can always implement information about webinars on your website and let your clients register there!

Rule no 8: Remember about accessible contact page

Contact pages are important because that's where you're going to get the website feedback. If visitors can't find your contact page or they have trouble using it, then there's no way for them to tell you about their thoughts on what could be improved with your site.

A contact page should have all of the usual information - a phone number and email address for you to be reached at, as well as some other details like your physical location. If possible, consider including things like Skype or other instant messaging usernames that visitors can use to start a conversation with you online. These days there are lots of different ways to reach a business, so it's important that your contact page reflects the options you want to give people.

Rule no 9: Provide simple site navigation for visitors

The navigational structure of every website should be prioritized from what comes first on the menu bar towards what users can find later in sections that are further down. You might think that the menu bar should be based on what you want people to see, but it's really about what your visitors are expecting and how they're going to use your site.

Navigation comes down to a few simple rules - make sure your menu bar is located at the top of every page so users can find their way back up from wherever they are on your site. You should also have easy access to a search bar so visitors can quickly find the content they're looking for, and make sure you avoid making people scroll down too far when going from one page of your website to another.

Over to you

Creating a flawless website experience is not simple. It takes a lot of effort to make sure everything works well, the pages load quickly and people are easily able to find what they're looking for. But once you provide such experience with your website, it pays off quicker than you think it could.