User experience (UX) refers to the overall experience a person may have when using a website or product. UX measures the quality of a website and focuses on how users can easily navigate the site through behaviours, actions, and perceptions. The users experience is the driving force for website maintenance and improvements as it it is crucial for users to locate information with ease.
User Experience Best Practices
To help maintain or improve the user experience we recommend following these best practices and sharing them with your internal team to promote consistency across your website.
You are not the user
It can be easy to assume you know how a user would navigate your website, complete a task online, etc., but the truth is your users may have a completely different thought process. When you are creating content or adjusting your website, always be sure to take a moment and ensure you aren't making assumptions about your users' behaviour.
Consistently improve your site
User expectations are always evolving, which means your site should not remain static if your goal is to meet and exceed these expectations. Set a goal to periodically review your website or to make a certain number of improvements each quarter. If you aren't sure where to start, try soliciting user feedback through UX testing or surveys to find your users' pain points when it comes to your website.
Be accessible
Making sure everyone can access your content is the first step in creating a user-focused website. Accessibility is important when building a website, creating content, and maintaining that content in the long term. We recommend auditing your website on a regular basis for accessibility issues.
Consistency
Consistent use of design elements creates a better experience when navigating your site. Users can digest information and find what they are looking for sooner. They will also connect to your brand when the tone and voice is consistent across your site.
Know when to use qualitative versus quantitative research
We recommend using qualitative research when you want to investigate known pain points, test proposed solutions, gain insight beyond verbal feedback, and understand the emotional impact of your site's content. Quantitative research is best when you are focused on the numbers and want measurable data, feedback from a large group of people, or a snapshot of the current state of some aspect of your site.
How to Test for User Experience
Feedback or surveys
Collect opinion-based feedback. Citizens are increasingly interested in local happenings and the services they receive. We recommend incorporating more than one feedback option to increase the likelihood of users participating. Some options include live chats, engagement tools, feedback forms, surveys and Q&A pages. These can match your internal workflows to increase efficiency. This method is great for testing existing offerings and tracking changes in user experience over time.
Hallway testing
Test website functionality with your internal team (remotely or in person). Functionality can be tested by asking users to complete a specific task, and tracking the users' path. This is a fast and informal way to test an early iteration of a proposed web solution. Results can offer a snapshot of the current state of the website.
One-on-one user testing
A qualitative research testing method with the target audience. It involves having an expert facilitating the session, identifying problems or pain points, and improving the website.
Focus group
A qualitative testing method where the session is held by one moderator with multiple participants. This method focuses on user opinion, not functionality or usability (what users say, not what users do).
Benchmarking
A testing method that includes collecting quantitative data through metrics to evaluate a product or solution. Testing metrics could include the average time or number of clicks to complete a task. Data collected will help gauge the product performance and act as a baseline for future benchmarking tests.
Expert review
A method where a subject matter expert reviews your website and provides recommendations for changes based on UX best practices. This approach works well for incremental improvements as recommendations are often 'easy wins'.
We want to hear from you!
Our team at Upanup is always striving to make this guide better and more accessible for our clients. We’d love to hear from you, so we can continue to improve this guide.