How Improved Usability can Enhance Customer Experience

Each day an increasing number of new and existing companies are taking their business and brand online in order to reach and communicate with a larger market.

As a result of this it is important for you as a company to create the correct customer experience in order for your potential customers to return or recommend your site.

A study from the Office of National Statistics found that 31 million customers purchased goods and services online in 2010. This is due to over a 60% of UK adults accessing the internet every day and 73% of UK households having an internet connection.

Usability: What your company should do

When looking at how to enhance your customers' experience through the usability of your website, you must first make sure that your website has two things, the correct design and content.

Site Design:

• Quality Design: For the overall site functionality to work it is important that your site is designed by an expert in order for it to gain credibility, perform correctly and work with current browsers.
• Site Functionality: The site is easy to use, understand and navigate around.

 
Site Content:

• Quality Content: Delivering high quality, original content to your site will benefit you and your customers. As previously mentioned in the I-COM blog, “How ‘content’ are your customers”, content is king.
• Provide direct and actionable information:  The opening paragraph on your home page should include a USP (Unique Selling Point) and COA (Call to Action) in order to entice the customer, directly answer their query and enable them to take action. 

Once you have considered these key elements for your site, you can further increase your customer experience through additional usability functions such as images, video and audio to your site.

Your Site & Usability: I-COM’s Recommendations

Here are a few examples of good usability websites from the I-Com Design Team. They consider these have great functionalities that will enhance their customer’s experience on the site.



Apple & Usability: The Apple site uses an effective and simple white background which means the products really stand out to the customer. The USP is clearly listed and a range of products is displayed to further appeal to the customer.

Manchester City & Usability:  The Manchester City site incorporates the brand colours throughout the site in order to create instant recognition and nostalgia for both the club and the Man City brand. The club instantly lists their USP using visual images and displays additional products and services using written content.

Iconic Lights & Usability: The Iconic Lights site, similar to the Apple, uses an effective white background which enables the products to stand out and instantly lists the company's USPs using written content. Images are used to promote additional products in order to entice the customer to further investigate the site.

How will usability benefit me?

As a result of the online consumer statistics, now is a perfect time to get your business online and create a site that has great usability. The overall benefits will enable your company to:

• Expand into a new customer base.
• Communicate and reward your customers.
• Develop and promote your brand.
• Gain credibility as a company: A good website will entice new and existing customers to return.
• Potentially increase your ROI.

Here at I-COM we can help you create a website that delivers a great customer experience. Speak to a web designer in Manchester today.