Like it or not but as the UX debt of your website grows, your business interests would start suffering as well and your website will see a much lower conversion rate. The problem with user experience debt is that it is hard to recognize and pinpoint the cause(s). There could be a single factor or multiple factors, and fixing them may sometimes be very difficult as some of the problems are inherent to a particular website, being present from the time when it was first designed. Trying to fix the problem(s) would amount to changing the whole architecture of the website, which is often an unviable solution.

There are two types of user experience debts.

• Intentional UX debt – Sometimes, in the rush of business, you may have to take a few decisions without deliberating properly. It could be due to lack of resources or a genuine lack of will. Whatever the reason, these shortcomings are generally avoidable in nature. Do not ignore them because sooner or later, your users will notice these lacunae and your debt to them will grow.

• Unintentional UX debt – There are also times when you would not realize that you are making a poor decision because you do not know what your user actually wants. You may have created your website based on a survey and after closely scrutinizing the current trends. However, trends change so fast in the digital world and the needs of your users will keep shifting as well. An unintentional UX debt is created when you fail to factor in these probabilities.

How will you manage the debt?

Managing the debt is more difficult than you imagine at first because a lot of the problems here are subjective and there is no universal language or a standard parameter against which you can test the problems. However, you will have to at least recognize and quickly resolve the intentional UX debt issues. Communicate with your team about the need of solving these and how you plan to progress. Connect with your users and carry usability studies frequently. You may try A/B testing every once in a while to understand the pulse of your users. Keep a track of the latest best practices but keep enough room in your design so that any future changes can also be incorporated without a massive overhaul.

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In order to make your website attractive, you have to meld the best practices of website design template with appropriate content creation to improve user experience. So what are some of the things your website needs to be interactive?

• Use a non-linear tree structure: Your visitors would be primarily looking for convenience of navigation. To improve navigability, you have to consider the ‘tree structure’ concept of design, which would allow the visitors to move from one page to another within the website in a non-linear way. Use of hyperlinks strategically is highly recommended. Also see that the logo on the top of each page is linked to the home page. Never clutter a page. Each and every element making the page should be prominent and eye-catching. Using proper categories, lists and breaking the texts into small paragraphs help in improving the navigability.

• Make the CTAs conspicuous: Are you making the call-to-actions engaging? Are these really getting the kind of attention from the site visitors that they deserve? If not, you have not done it right. Use different colors, hyperlink these with the subscription page, purchase page or sign-up page. Optimize the size of the CTA button or hyperlink if you really wish to make your website responsive, because in this age of smart phone omnipresence, most of your visitors would interact with your website through their smart phones.

• Engaging content: A lot of websites tend to overlook this aspect of interactivity. Ultimately, a visitor comes to your website looking for something. If you can’t provide them with the right content, they won’t stay. So make sure to have a good blend of updated blog posts, case studies, relevant videos, engaging web copies to keep them interested.

• Carry out surveys: A survey can have multiple benefits. It can help you get incisive knowledge about your customer/visitor, as well as finding out what they want from the website or the business per se. You can then integrate these elements to improve the user experience and ultimately get more conversions.

For any modern business, having a website is as imperative as having a name or a logo. This is what carves your unique identity in the digital world. So do not ignore the aspect of interactivity while designing your website. It can be damaging to your business or brand image.

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We all know that different colors can mean different things for different people. Psychologists have affirmed that a website color can leave an impression on the edge of subconscious of a visitor. A large number of visitors decide to stay or leave a website depending on the choice of colors used in its design.

Color selection is an important duty of a web designer because it plays a significant role in its success. People also relate a brand with certain color(s). The website should reflect that for better perceptibility of the brand and its messages. The designer should see that the colors are vibrant and sober. They should in no way be morbid or portray negativity.

It is easy to comprehend why brands associated with greenery or eco-conservation prefer to use a combination of green, brown or similar shades on their website. Red is used by websites that target children or the youth because it is associated with vivaciousness.  A color like blue makes the visitor feel welcome and safe. It immediately relaxes their nerves and engages them. It generally improves the chance that the visitor will go through the content. Psychology of colors also enunciates that black should be used for textual content in general because it is easy to read.

Your website has a certain character and identity. Use of warm colors will mean that it is optimistic and friendly. Visitors will intuitively start associating these qualities with your brand as well. But you will have to be careful with your color selection. Although some colors have a universal appeal and have a single meaning, there are others which can have different significance in different religious, cultural or social contexts. It is better to avoid such colors which can have negative connotations for certain groups.

As the owner of a website, you should have a functional understanding of the theory of colors. Optimum use of color will improve interactivity. But be warned that using too much or too little can disrupt the harmony and balance of the website template and prove to be counterproductive. Good luck with your website design!

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