by Joey Wang, founder and Managing Director of Appiloque
Putting the user first is key to success online. Whether you are setting up a new website, releasing a new app or launching a new product, by putting the user at the center you will be setting yourself up for success. Many digital products fail because of this lack of focus on the user, so how can you go about making sure you put the user first?
Ask Users What They Want.
These days it is easier than ever to ask users what they actually want from your websites, products and services. You may have seen other websites ask users to provide feedback about their experience in the form of small surveys, and this can be one of the most effective ways to find out what you are doing right and wrong, and to make appropriate changes.
If you have a landing page for a product, there are a number of best practices such as testing the headline, the order form, and the testimonials in a bid to increase conversions. However, sometimes testing alone is not enough. To get even deeper insights into what your users really want, you need to ask them.
If you put up a small survey or a live chat feature on the page in question, you can encourage users to tell you why they are not signing up to your list or buying your product, and you may find out that they find the page confusing or that they think the price is too high. By getting access to what your users are thinking while they are at your landing page, you can then make changes to improve the experience—and boost conversions.
Create a User-Focused Design.
Websites should be designed to be user focused if you want to get the most out of yours. If you are launching a new website, you may want to hire a designer who knows what they are doing in this respect. Elements of a user-centric design will include clear navigation, fast-loading pages, a style suited to the audience, and a website that is focused on your users’ needs rather than your own.
If you already have a website but you want to make it more user focused, you could hire a UX designer to carry out various tests and make changes to ensure your site is user centric.
Make the Text Focus on the User.
One of the most important ways to make sure you have a user-centric approach to your marketing is in the way you write content. Whether you are writing web copy, social media updates, landing page copy, email copy or anything else, it’s important to ensure your copy speaks directly to your readers.
That means using simple language as opposed to complex words and phrases, and using direct language rather than vague terms. Make sure you also avoid using jargon, which often has little meaning for your readers and simply turns them away.
You should also focus on the main benefits when you are writing about a product or service, rather than focusing solely on the features. You may need to spend some time working out what these benefits are, and then you can focus your copy on these.
Another simple technique is to always address the reader as ‘you’ rather than talk about ‘our readers’ or ‘our customers.’ It is very easy to try and address all of your readers at the same time, but focusing just on ‘you’ will help to give the copy a more personal feel and you will be speaking directly to each reader.
This is the same for any marketing you carry out, and this is what a skilled marketing agency will help you with when you hire their services. For example, if you hire a digital marketing agency in Singapore to help with your marketing, they will often recommend putting a strong focus on the user whenever you write anything.
Make It Your Aim to Focus on the User.
You may be launching a new website, creating a new product, starting a new service, or launching your first app. Whatever you are doing, make sure that you put the user first. And if you already have a website up and running but you have not put enough focus on the user, make sure you go back to the start and make changes to your site based on what your users want. Do this, and you may well find that you increase conversions and boost customer loyalty.
Joey Wang is the founder and Managing Director of Appiloque. Being a serial entrepreneur based in Singapore, he has built Appiloque to become his most successful business to date. With a team of 32 savvy digital marketers and being at the forefront of innovative technologies, Appiloque aims to help businesses take over the digital world with marketing efforts driven by user-centric experiences and data-enabled strategies.
