People don’t land on websites by accident. They get there because they are searching for something specific. In that sense, it’s more of a guided journey. Hence the term “user journey.” A User Journey maps out how a visitor moves through your website to find what they’re looking for, whether it’s a piece of content, a sign-up form, or a Donate button.
Ideally, your visitors can find their destination and accomplish their goal in 2-3 clicks or under 2 minutes. Any more than that, and they may get lost, frustrated, or give up completely. So, you may say to yourself, “Why not just put everything on the home page, then?” That may be doable if you only have 2 or 3 potential user journeys, but for more complicated systems where different types of users need to find different information or perform different actions, you need a lot more planning and proper design.
Ask the important questions
- Who are my users?
- What are their goals when visiting my website?
- What are my goals for visitors coming to my website?
- What do visitors see when they first get to my website?
- Will they trust what they see?
- How will they know where to go and what to do?
A lot of times, these are not easy to answer. There may not be a right answer, or there may be multiple competing priorities that you want to juggle at the same time. This is why there is a whole professional field of Web Design (which falls under the larger umbrella of User Experience Design) that trains people on how to create websites that don’t just look pretty but also accomplish a business goal.
Breaking it down
The Beginning
Generally speaking, your website has about 3-5 seconds to make the right impression on a visitor before they make a decision about whether or not to stay longer. In those handful of seconds, you have to prove your legitimacy, expertise, and accessibility all in one glance. If your website looks unprofessional, messy, or overwhelming, your visitors might choose to go elsewhere. First impressions can make or break a user journey.
The Middle
Naturally, you want to be able to communicate your expertise and years of experience. You want to showcase your past projects, glowing client reviews, and a gallery of awards. All of that is important. But most of it is a side quest to what your visitors really need. In order to understand what’s most important to your audience, you need to put yourself in their shoes. Better yet, ask a friend or family member. An outside perspective might reveal certain roadblocks or unnecessary detours you didn’t notice that may be costing you valuable business.
The End
The user journey ends when your visitors accomplish what they came to your website to do (find information, submit a contact form, etc.). Their experience along the way may become a deciding factor in what they do when they finally reach the end. It will also set their expectations for you and your business, and their decision on whether or not they choose to engage with you, or recommend you to others.
A Note on AI Search and Summary
As we’ve discussed in our previous post, AI tools don’t create something out of nothing. In order for AI searches and summaries to inform users about your business, your business has to exist online, which means having and actively maintaining a website. It’s all about content and reputation:
Content that is informative, reliable, and relevant to your business and industry will carry a lot of weight. The days of metadata tags are over. Now, search engines and AI tools scan the actual words on your website, so make sure you’re using the right ones.
Reputation extends beyond your website to everywhere on the web, and the more connections you have the better. From social media to Yelp or Google reviews and business listings in your local chamber of commerce directory, every little bit helps.
So what’s the best measure of a website’s success?
Better question: What’s the best measure of your website’s success? Is it how long a visitor sticks around, or how many leads you get per month? Are you reaching those markers on a regular basis with your current website?
In business, the highest form of compliment and the best measure of credibility is repeat customers and organic referrals. At Nerd Crossing, we can proudly say that over 70% of our business comes directly from client referrals. We have worked with a broad range of businesses, non-profits, and government organizations for over 15 years, and we continue to serve our clients with the same dedication, professionalism, and care today.
If you need another pair of eyes on your website, give us a shout. We can schedule a free consultation and let you know what your user journeys look like, as well as recommend improvements to smooth out the wrinkles.