How to improve conversions by fixing common UX mistakes

Conversion rates are directly linked to user experience – sometimes more obviously than others.

Proving these connections involves forming theories based on data interpretation and designing tests to draw conclusions.

But often the direct links are clear to CRO specialists – especially when they’re frequently recurring issues.

Here are some of the more common UX mistakes businesses make that impact conversion rates.

1. Page load speed

It’s a misconception that user experience is just a design or content issue – mistakes can occur before a user even sees your page.

The longer your page takes to load, the more users you’ll lose to bounce rate – before the layout even becomes a factor.

And yes, it may be the case that certain design and content elements are contributing to the slowdown.

But there’s certainly no point creating winning content if it takes ages to appear – users simply won’t believe it’s worth the wait.

2. Eyecatching CTAs

And at the other end of the funnel, don’t miss out on conversions simply because people can’t clearly see the call-to-action.

Yes, your corporate brand colour palette has been carefully selected (and we appreciate how hard designers work) but CTAs need to stand out.

So follow the rules of basic colour psychology and go for bold, contrasting colours that draw the eye and make the decision easier.

Aim to engage ‘system one’ of the user’s brain – system two can cloud the user experience (look out for a future post on system one vs two).

3. The three click ‘rule’

Simply put, a visitor to a page on your site should be able to get to any other page within three clicks or fewer.

It’s not set in stone, it’s more best practice – with some exceptions, like a simple breadcrumb structure on an ecommerce site.

Keep the user journey as straightforward as you can and aim for a flatter site structure if possible.

4. Dead ends

A dead end is any page without a call-to-action, or a broken link without a redirect.

As soon as you give users nowhere to go on your site, the obvious step is to go to a different one.

And even if a user has completed a goal based on their initial intent, that shouldn’t mean you abandon them.

Incorporate a request to sign up for a mailing list, or write a review, or share some content, for example.

Offboarding is an often overlooked part of conversion rate optimisation but is an important part of the user journey.

Your UX strategy should aim to keep current users satisfied as well as attract new ones.

The list of common mistakes is long but it’s important to tick these off so you can start on the more subtle UX challenges.

Always link CRO to overall business goals

When addressing any issues that affect your website conversion rates, always remember your wider business goals.

Without the right guidance, it’s easy to become hyper focused on labour intensive adjustments for little reward.

Making things better for the users you want to attract and engage with should be a goal of your overall strategy.

But making things absolutely perfect for a small cohort that may not significantly affect your bottom line is a poor use of resource.

Aim to make the best use of your available data and apply the findings to maximise your budget and time commitments.

Ready to improve your site’s user experience?

Whether you want to tackle the basics or a deeper dive to identify areas for specific targeting, specialist support is available.

Get in touch today, or if you know someone who might be interested, share this content and spread the love.

Photo by Ethan Sykes on Unsplash