Website Design and Development - Stone City Digital Inc.

You may have heard the word “UI/UX” thrown about a lot in the web development industry, but you may not know what it means other than that it’s an acronym. UI/UX is a web design style that emphasizes both the user interface and the user experience of a website or product. In other words, it’s about how something looks and feels when someone interacts with it—two factors that may make or break your site’s success.

What is UI development?

UI is the look and feel of your website. It’s what decides how easy it is to read your material, how quickly product information can be accessed, and whether users can locate what they’re looking for. Customers are often drawn in by the user interface; if a page takes too long to load or the layout is confusing, they’ll leave and go to another site.

What is UX development?

User Experience (UX) Design is the process of enhancing the overall experience of users when interacting with an application or website in order to meet the goal of providing the highest level of customer satisfaction. It keeps clients in mind while laying the foundation for any application. It primarily focuses on wireframing an application and effectively arranging all of its components and aspects to produce the user flow. Knowing the factors of user experience is critical to the success of your brand and products.

The reason why an efficient UI/UX is essential for business growth

For starters, if you’re paying and having a website maintained, you’ll want to make sure that it looks clean and professional on all devices, giving your brand legitimacy and encouraging people to learn more about what you have to offer.

It is essential to emphasize the users’ satisfaction in order to build the brand value and reputation of the business. Users’ emotions are influenced by design, while their behavior is influenced by UI/UX. It’s an essential component that you can’t afford to overlook or undervalue, no matter how tight your budget or how little your company is. What good is it to have the most beautiful website in the world if no one knows how to use it?

1. Captures the customer’s attention

When customers visit your website, you only have a few seconds to make an impression. The majority of customers will only stay if your website is attractive enough; otherwise, they will leave. When you design your website with your users in mind, you will entice more visitors and encourage them to stay on your site for a longer period of time. The longer they stay, the more likely it is that they will see your offerings and purchase them.

2. Encourages Interaction

You don’t want visitors to stand around doing nothing; instead, you want them to take action and interact with your brand. Written content, videos, images, advertisements, and calls to action are examples of visual elements used in UI/UX design that encourage interaction. Potential customers who interact with your website are one step closer to becoming paying customers.

3. Establish your brand reputation

The first impression is the last impression. Therefore, you need to be careful while building the user experience of your website. It is essential to fully understand your business and the elements that your target users need. This will keep you from making critical UI/UX mistakes and will help you establish your market reputation. This is especially useful if you are a small business. A flawless and interactive UI/UX can aid in the establishment of your brand’s market reputation.

When it comes to recruiting top talent, is your website working for you? Is it doing all it can?

By now most companies know their website is key to attracting and connecting with their perfect clients.

But this is 2021.

Your website has the potential to proactively attract, create and keep clients, communicate your corporate culture, AND attract and recruit talent to your business. That’s right. In today’s global digital economy, qualified and enthusiastic talent are screening you through your website.

So, how are you ranking in that area? Is your website attracting those brilliant minds of the future, or do they pass you over and keep looking?

Don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. The best time to make a change is now and we’ve provided a few key steps you can take to start leveraging your website to attract the best talent and the best employees now!

Mobile-Friendly Website vs. Unique Mobile Experience

If your website is mobile-friendly, you’re on the right track. But the mobile experience is a different story. Your website must be optimized for the mobile experience to measure up and work for you in attracting great talent as well as great clients.

According to Google, there are 27.8 billion more search queries performed on mobile than on desktop. No, this isn’t an SEO-focused blog, but this one stat alone suggests that you as a business should be thinking about mobile-first.

When a visitor makes their way to your website on their mobile, think about these elements of the user experience: Does it load quickly? Are they able to find what they need quickly? If you’re inviting them to take some action, is it simple and fast enough to warrant their follow through?

If you’re thinking that your website should be more about your potential clients, sure, it could be. But in 2019 Glassdoor reported that 58% of job seekers use their mobile devices to search for jobs. Convinced yet?

Your Careers Webpage and Hiring Process

If you have one, great! Now get that button onto the front page of your website in an easy to find location, and create a small primer section that will attract a click to learn more on your careers page.

This is where you make the case that working for your company is the right career move for them. Like a perfect client, prospective employees are screening you for a sense of what it would be like to work with you and your team.

In addition to the basics (benefits, executive bios, corporate values and mission, company history), offer links to your blog and social media pages, and consider adding video. This could be anything from a virtual tour of the office, or interviews with existing employees about their experience working for the company to really give people a feel for your company culture.

Be as real and open as possible. You want to attract the right employees. Presenting a façade will only disappoint you and the candidates when they get to their interviews, wasting valuable time and energy for everyone.

Your Online Application

Don’t forget mobile friendly and mobile experience are key to this process. Your online application form should be simple, fast loading, and easy to fill out. There’s no need to sacrifice function for simplicity. Use a form that will allow your candidates to upload a cover letter and full resume. So many companies don’t and that’s a missed opportunity.

A cover letter invites your applicant to demonstrate who they are and their unique value to you, their prospective employer.

Not to mention, an online form can give valuable clues about their attention to detail, communication skills, and their overall passion for your industry, business, and product or service.

The Rest of Your Website and Digital Visibility

Your website provides a great first opportunity to gather interesting information from your candidates. But it also tells your candidates a lot about what you do, how you do it, and what separates you from other potential employers.

As you carefully craft your messaging throughout your website, newsletters, blogs, and social media profiles, be sure to include subscribe buttons and social links that bring candidates and your perfect clients to your content. Then, create thoughtful and relevant content regularly across every digital channel you can.

The message you’re sending should drive home the idea that you and your company will provide the most attractive and relevant career opportunity for your candidate. Even when the content you’re putting out on each channel is not directly aimed at your candidates, they will convey these messages when they are relevant to your perfect clients.

Just think about what motivates employees to seek a career change: negative work environments, need for growth, and an opportunity to realize one’s career aspirations. When your website and digital spaces are answering the true questions and needs of prospective clients and employees, you will undoubtedly attract more of the perfect applicants when you post your jobs on social media and job boards.

Of course, we’d love to help you get the most out of your website and digital spaces! It starts with a conversation. Call us today at 613.331.3252.