**This is a sponsored post**
Whether you’re ordering groceries or other food and drink products for delivery, checking out a local restaurant to decide if you want to eat there or ordering a meal for takeaway or delivery online, one thing’s certain: if the website or app is poorly designed, there’s a good chance it could put you off from buying from that particular company. As any great UX design agency will tell you, building your website with a focus on customer experience is key to success – so if you’re a food or drink brand that wants to delight rather than disappoint, here are five top tips.
1. Think about the customer journey
Have you looked at your website through your customers’ eyes? Think about the reasons why they may have visited in the first place. Are you a new brand, and they’re looking to find out what you’re all about? Have you advertised a special offer that they may be looking to take advantage of? Do they want to book a table to eat, or place an order?
Think about the reasons why people visit your website, and then look at how easy it is for them to find the information they need. Is their desired journey clearly mapped out for them, or is it impossible for them to find what they’re looking for? How many steps does it take them to get to where they want to be?
2. Keep things tidy
It’s understandable for you to be excited about your product or service offering, and to want to use your website to shout about every single thing you do. Remember, though, that sometimes less is more.
You don’t need every single inch of your website to be covered in images or writing: white space is no bad thing at all. A simple, uncluttered website is far easier to read – and if customers think your website is messy, it might subconsciously make them think your food is, too.
3. Bear Hick’s Law in mind
Hick’s Law states, at its simplest, that the more options there are, the harder it is to make a decision. In a restaurant, presenting diners with a 15-page menu can bamboozle them, frustrate them and make decision-making a challenge. The same goes for food and drink websites.
You’ll want to keep things simple – in terms of page count, in terms of navigation and even in terms of the number of products or dishes you offer. Use Google Analytics to work out what your visitors are searching for and which pages they’re viewing most often – and think about which actions you’re most wanting visitors to undertake. Once you know these, you can make them more visible on your landing page, making their UX better.
4. Imagery and language are important for UX
Great food and drink isn’t just about flavour – it’s a feast for all the senses! With that in mind, you’ll want to use your website to make your proposition as appealing as possible to whet your customers’ appetites.
Professionally-shot photographs are vital, as the old saying that “we eat with our eyes” really is true. Give your website visitors an accurate visual representation of what you’re all about to encourage them to buy.
Similarly the language you use will also have a big impact. Think about your overall brand image and tie the language you use on your website into it. Use your words to encourage people to take the actions that you want them to use your website to take.
5. Allow easy searching
This is particularly important for food and drink websites where you’re hoping for customers to buy products to be delivered, or where you’re offering meal ordering. How easy is it for people to find what they’re looking for? If your navigation menus don’t function properly or your search functionality is lacking, you may well find that they leave your website and choose your competitors instead.
Food and drink is a highly competitive sector. If your UX isn’t up to scratch, you could well be putting potential customers off without even knowing.