User Experience: Using Goals and Emotions to Beat Your Competitors!

79% of users who fail to find what they are looking within 8 seconds will go to a competitor!

How many web developers do you hear talking about goals? There are some, mainly the sporting kind, but how many are referring to our website visitors? Regardless of whether you are talking about websites, running a business or are on the sporting field, goals need to be your #1 consideration and need to be investigated, talked about and easy to achieve.

If you do this, you will get ahead of your competitors.

Are Your Goals Their Goals?

If you are at the head of an organisation, you know your products or service offering inside out. You are enthusiastic to tell your target market how awesome it is face-to-face. The only goals that matter to your potential customer are THEIRS.

The goals of your online visitors are not the same, and your competitors are right there on the same screen!

If you don’t know exactly what the goals are of your website visitors, or even thought about them, then you have a problem. They will go to your competitors at the click of a button.

It’s All About Goals and Emotions

Your website only has 8 seconds to impress. If your website does not satisfy visitors primary goals and emotions, then they will jump to your competitor’s website to satisfy what they are looking for. Your website needs to be considering a number of factors:

  • What is above the fold?
  • What is in it for the visitor?
  • Have you got what they are looking for? Is it obvious?
  • What promises are you giving the user?
  • What credibility are you presenting to build your reputation?
  • Are you commencing a journey for your users from both Google and your home page?
  • Are your calls to action obvious, relevant, and context-sensitive?
  • Do your visitors feel targeted?

There are many different methods of finding out what your website target audience wants:

  • Simple questionnaires or exercises
  • Focus groups
  • Paper prototyping your website
  • User experience studies with members of your target audience
  • Consulting with user experience experts

Should I Look At My Competitors?

You may think your competitors are doing it right – how do you know? It is good to see what the competition is doing, but it is likely that they are making the same mistakes. You want to get ahead of the competition, not frustrating your visitors like they are.

New Websites

If you are designing a new website, do not forego this opportunity. Spending time defining your personas and understanding exactly what their goals and emotions are before your design starts will pay massive dividends once your website is live. Always design for your visitors’ goals, and not what you think your visitors are looking for.

Existing Websites

If you already have a website, it’s not too late. Sometimes small changes can make a big difference. You have the opportunity to pitch your website against your competitors and understand what website visitors are looking for on a website in your industry. It also gives you the opportunity to peek at your competitors to see if they are succeeding, and perhaps more importantly how they are frustrating visitors. Eliminating frustrations may be the one feature that converts visitors into paying customers.

Can I Get Some Help?

If you need any assistance in identifying how you can get ahead of your competitors, get in touch.