In the lead generation cycle, the most important step is the first interaction a potential lead has with your company. Today, this initial interaction often occurs online on a business’ website. For this reason, companies are now pouring considerable time and effort into optimizing their sites for lead generation. Just how are they doing so? It starts with good UI and UX design. Your design is key to a visitor’s overall experience, and has the power to bring about significant increases in conversions.

Optimizing UX Design

A business intent on building a strong, loyal customer base should prioritize user experience (UX) when designing its website. Imagine a trip to the airport free of lines at the ticket counter and security checkpoint, followed by prompt boarding and an on-time departure. This smooth, albeit atypical, experience would likely leave you with a great impression of that particular airport and airline, encouraging you to consider them again for future travel.

You want your site visitors to have a similarly seamless, trouble-free experience with your website. As the old adage goes, the customer is always right. Their satisfaction can be easily attained and maintained through the implementation of an easy to navigate website that offers a unique advantage not found elsewhere. Comprised of all aspects of a website, from key words to site navigation, UX is a representation of your brand and a leading factor behind a visitors overall impression of your company.

Through extensive testing and analysis, UX is calculated to ensure an optimal interaction between potential leads and your company. Visitors with a positive experience are more likely to turn into leads, and hopefully one day into paying customers.

User Interface: The Force Behind UX

Behind the scenes lies user interface (UI), which is simply the functionality of each component of the website. Its main goal is to promote usability while assisting users in smoothly and efficiently performing any given task. A component of overall UX, good UI design consists of the following:

1. • A clear path for visitors to follow

1. • Quick load times

1. • Intuitive controls

• Logical prioritization of information

UI is thus a major contributing factor in conversion rates, as good UI design on an easy to navigate website leaves visitors more likely to spend more time on the website, while slow, complex sites turn visitors away.

User Experience Testing

The best way to ensure that your website is user-friendly is to observe individuals as they navigate your site. The common practice of user testing involves watching and listening to real people as they make their way through the various pages of your company’s website, providing valuable insight into what’s working and what should be changed. Though this process can be time-consuming, it is an investment that yields information otherwise nearly impossible to obtain. Gone will be the days you’re left wondering why users tend to stay on a particular page versus another, or why items are left abandoned in the shopping cart.

What Does This Mean for your Business?

When UX specialists focus primarily on user experience and user interface, businesses will likely see measurable results through more conversions, achieved sales targets, and overall increase in profit.