The whole purpose of creating a website is to provide you, your brand, or your organization a platform to interact with your clientele. Every user who comes to your website is someone who is either a prospective customer or already using your products/services. If you are looking for ways to please your clientele and ensure that they like what you have on view, then here’s a few things that you might want to look into.
Talk to Them
The best thing about users is that they love to feel that they are a part of something, especially if that “something” is being used by them. By making them a part of the decision-making process, not only do they feel more important, but they also provide an invaluable insight into their mind. That is more important than anything you might ever do.
Understand Them
There is always a reason why every user makes a particular decision over another. Understanding that reason will help you understand your user better and, thereafter, create a website that is perfect for them. It is more important that the website caters to their needs rather than your likes and dislikes, especially if the product/service you are offering requires them to give you something back.
Analyse Them
It’s all well and good knowing what your user likes but if you do not understand why they like it, you are not really thinking in their best interests. Your user’s specific likes and dislikes are based on reasoning that, solid or otherwise, is very important to them. When you can understand these aspects and go one step ahead by giving them something they would like, but do not expect, you will win their hearts over like never before.
Test Thoroughly
Just because you’ve taken the time to understand your audience doesn’t mean that you will get it right when you execute your ideas. Beta-testing or testing within a controlled group is absolutely imperative before you can take any form of major decision in launching your website/product/service online. There are always chinks in any armour and if you want to get everything right, you had better carry out thorough tests to ensure complete design & functionality success.
Re-Visit
Once you think that you’ve got everything sorted out and everything is as it should be – do it all over again. You can never assume that your client’s point of view, likes, dislikes and preferences will remain the same. To account for their ever-changing demands, you need to keep your website on its toes. That means, running through the entire cycle, tirelessly, continuously for as long as you are part of the endeavour. Without this part taken care of, all that time, effort and money that goes into the first four bits falls down to pieces.
Whether you are working as a freelancer from Asia or working with the best Web Design Agency in London or Barcelona, you will find these little guidelines an integral part of your website creation and conceptualization process. Understanding and acknowledging their contribution to your website is something that you just cannot avoid.
ALFREDO DO NASCIMENTO – author
It wasn’t the thought of winning awards that drove Alfredo into the world of website design. Traditionally trained in fine arts, Alfredo was a natural at combining the electronic world with the world of traditional art forms. He has brought in graffiti, tribal art and other more modern and niche forms into website design and has been involved with many a leading web design agency in London, Barcelona, Sydney and more.
