As a conversion rate optimization (CRO) expert, you know that a well-designed website can significantly impact the user’s experience and ultimately lead to increased conversions. However, not all design is created equal. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of UX design in CRO and offer tips on creating a design that will lead to a successful CRO experiment.
UX design for A/B testing
What is UX Design?
UX design, or user experience design, is the process of creating a website or product that is easy to use, accessible, and provides pleasure in the interaction. It is not just about making a website look pretty; it is about creating a website that satisfies the user’s needs and goals.
As opposed to traditional design, which focuses on aesthetics, UX design focuses on the user’s experience. The goal is to create a website that is easy to navigate, easy to understand, and provides a seamless experience for the user.
Understanding the Minimal Detectable Effect (MDE)
When creating a design for a CRO experiment, it is important to understand the experiment’s minimal detectable effect (MDE). The MDE is the smallest change in conversion rate that can be detected with a certain level of statistical significance.
- With an MDE of 5% or lower, small changes in your variation can be made.
- With an MDE of 5-10%, larger design changes are needed.
- With an MDE of more than 10%, massive changes are required.
Matching the UX design to the Hypothesis
When creating a design for a CRO experiment, it is important to ensure that the design matches the hypothesis. The design should reflect the hypothesis so that the correct conclusions can be drawn from the experiment. This will help you learn what works and doesn’t, which will ultimately lead to a more successful CRO program.
Limiting Feedback Rounds
Design is a matter of taste; not everyone will be delighted with the same design. To avoid getting caught up in endless feedback rounds, it’s important to limit the number of feedback rounds. Instead, ensure the design matches the hypothesis, test it, and discuss the results afterward. Allowing for too much feedback on UX designs can lead to spending too much time on one experiment, which can decrease the number of experiments you can run and ultimately decrease the success of your CRO program.
Best practices for UX design in CRO
To create a design that will lead to a successful CRO experiment, there are several best practices to keep in mind.
- Keep it simple: A simple design is easier to navigate, understand, and use. The fewer clicks and steps required to complete a task, the better the user experience.
- Use conventions: One way to keep it simple is by using conventions. Conventions are standards for every website, like the navigation at the top, a click on the logo leads to the home page, and show a magnifying glass in or near the search box.
- Make it consistent: Consistency in design helps users understand the website and navigate it more easily. Consistent elements such as layout, typography, and colors help users form mental models of the website, making it easier to use. I.e., have a consistent and unique color for your main call-to-action button on all pages.
- Use whitespace: Whitespace (or negative space) can make a website appear less cluttered, making it easier to read, scan, and navigate.
- Make it mobile-friendly: It is essential to create a mobile-friendly design. This means designing for a smaller screen, using larger fonts, and creating a responsive layout that adapts to different screen sizes.
- Keep website accessibility in mind: It’s important to design a website accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This means using alt texts for images, providing captions for videos, and ensuring that the website can be navigated using a keyboard. Also, use a font size of at least 14px (preferably at least 16px) and provide sufficient color contrast.
- Conduct user research: Conducting user research is an essential part of UX design. This can be done through user interviews, surveys, 5-seconds tests, preference tests, or usability testing.
- Focus on user goals: The most successful designs focus on the user’s goals. Understanding the user’s goals allows you to design a website tailored to their needs.
- Test, test, test: The best way to know if a design is successful is to test it. Use A/B testing or user testing when you lack traffic to test different design variations and see which leads to the highest conversion rate. By testing different design variations, you can identify which elements are most effective in increasing conversions and which elements may be hindering conversions.
UX design is essential for success in CRO
In conclusion, UX design plays a crucial role in Conversion Rate Optimization. By understanding the difference between traditional and UX design, being aware of the MDE, matching the design to the hypothesis, and limiting feedback rounds, you can create a design that will lead to a successful CRO experiment. Additionally, by following best practices such as keeping it simple, using conventions, making it consistent, using whitespace, making it mobile-friendly, keeping accessibility in mind, conducting user research, focusing on user goals, and testing solutions, you can enhance the user experience and ultimately increase conversions.
