David Sommer from Kudos (www.growkudos.com) gives top tips for improving your user experience. Presented at UKSG Forum 2015

1. Hit the ground running
Top tips to immediately improve your user experience
David Sommer
Product Director and Co-Founder of Kudos
@growkudos @DavidLSommer #UKSGforum15

2. Topics
• A/B Testing
• Single Call to Action
• Avoiding Context Switching
• Are you human?
• Forms
• Gradual Engagement
• Consistency
• Be friendly!
• Analytics
• How not to do it!
• References
Try
This

3. UX and UI
UX ≠ UI
User Experience (UX)
User Interface (UI)
User experience design (UXD or UED) is the process of enhancing customer
satisfaction and loyalty by improving the usability, ease of use, and pleasure
provided in the interaction between the customer and the product. It is about
workflow, interaction, positive confirmation, reward and taking action. It is all
about how the user FEELS.
User Interface – the graphical layer informed by the UX architecture, but based
on branding/style guide and visual design principles. It is all about how the
pages LOOK.
Adapted from http://blog.careerfoundry.com/the-difference-between-ux-and-ui-design-a-laymans-guide/ and http://www.quora.com/Whats-the-difference-between-UI-and-UX-design

4. A/B Testing

5. A/B Testing

6. A/B Testing
50% of users
see version A
43%
conversion
50% of users
see version B
12%
conversion

7. A/B Testing
Change one variable at a time, e.g.:
• Headlines
• Sub headlines
• Paragraph Text
• Call to Action text
• Call to Action Button
• Links
• Images
• Awards and badges
• Email subject lines and body text

8. A/B Testing

9. A/B Testing

10. A/B Testing
Set up a simple A/B test, change text on a button
use Google Analytics to run the experiment
Try
This

11. Single
Call to Action

12. Single call to action

13. Single call to action

14. Single call to action

15. Single call to action
Review the key pages on your site. What is the
main action you want users to take? Are you
offering too many choices?
Try
This

16. Avoid Context
Switching

17. Avoid Context Switching

18. Avoid Context Switching

19. Avoid Context Switching

20. Avoid Context Switching

21. Dec-10 Jan-11 Feb-11 Mar-11 Apr-11 May-11 Jun-11
Monthly Percentage Growth Rate of
Authors using the Kudos tools
Avoid Context Switching
Introduced new interface to
avoid context switching

22. Avoid Context Switching

23. Avoid Context Switching
Identify where you are making your users switch
context. Are there simple changes you can make
to avoid context switching?
Try
This

24. Are you human?

25. Are you human?
CAPTCHA came out of Carnegie Mellon University and stands for
"Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart".

26. Are you human?

27. Are you human?
If you MUST use CAPTCHA, use the new
simplified version. But, seriously, consider if you
REALLY do need this!
Try
This

28. Forms

29. Forms
First name:
Last name:
First name:
Last name:
First name: Last name:
Left aligned labels
Right aligned labels
Fields aligned with
how a user thinks

30. Forms
First name:
Last name:
First name:
Last name:
First name: Last name:
Make it easy for your users
See Luke Wroblewski’s work in this area

31. Forms
Password:
Retype password:
********
********
Password:
Retype password:
********
********
Provide
continual
positive
feedback

32. Forms
Password:
Please choose a password:
Type your chosen password here
What password would you like to use for Kudos?
Ask questions rather than
making demands

33. Forms

34. Forms
Review the forms on your site. Can you simplify
the layout? Are you provide reinforcing
feedback? Can you ask questions? A/B test.
Try
This

35. Gradual
Engagement

36. Gradual Engagement

37. Gradual Engagement

38. Gradual Engagement
“Most users probably won’t do much on the
site and will never come back so we might as
well ask for a ridiculous amount of
information when users register so at least
we have some good data for the handful of
people that do use the site!!”

39. Gradual Engagement

40. Gradual Engagement

41. Gradual Engagement
Ask for minimal
(ideally no) data up
front.
Get them using the
site.
Reduce risk for
them
Let users play and
see the value of
what you offer
As they get more
engaged, you can
ask for additional
information (and
explain how it will
help you help them)
Give us loads of
stuff that is of value
to us…
Then we will give
you something that
might be of value
to you
vs.

42. Gradual Engagement
Do you have an engagement strategy? How can
you make it easier for users try your services
immediately at no risk to them? How will you
then gradually build engagement for users that
are interested?
Try
This

43. Consistency

44. Consistency
Register
Register

45. Buttons that look like buttons
35.8% increase
in conversion at 98% statistical confidence

46. Consistency
For more information, please contact us.
For more information, please contact us.

47. Consistency
Audit your site. Do buttons look like buttons?
Are your links formatted consistently? Do you
have a style guide? Do some A/B testing!
Try
This

48. Be friendly!

49. Be friendly!
SUBMIT

50. Be friendly!
Instead of “Click here”, “Buy Now”, “Try a Demo”, try a call to action written in
the first person that answers the question “I want to __________”. E.g.:
See my results
Start now
Get my custom report

51. Be friendly!
Never submit! Write for humans not machines!
Try first person language on call to action
buttons.
Try
This

52. Analytics

53. Analytics

54. Analytics
Single call to
action
Offering me immediate
value for no commitment
from me
Great use of a
question
More info only
for those that
want it
No pressure
to sign in or
register
It’s personal. “My” heatmap – it
already exists who wouldn’t want to
see it?!

55. Analytics

56. Analytics

57. Analytics
Start using some basic analytics tools e.g.
Google Analytics (free) and Crazy Egg.
Whose job is it to analyze site usage and user
behavior?
Try
This

58. How not to do it!

59. How not to do it!

60. Things to Try and
References

61. 61
Try this
• Set up a simple A/B test, change text on a button use Google Analytics to run the
experiment
• Review the key pages on your site. What is the main action you want users to
take? Are you offering too many choices?
• Identify where you are making your users switch context. Are there simple changes you
can make to avoid context switching?
• If you MUST use CAPTCHA, use the new simplified version. But, seriously, consider if
you REALLY do need this!
• Review the forms on your site. Can you simplify the layout? Are you provide reinforcing
feedback? Can you ask questions? A/B test.
• Do you have an engagement strategy? How can you make it easier for users try your
services immediately at no risk to them? How will you then gradually build engagement
for users that are interested?
• Audit your site. Do buttons look like buttons? Are your links formatted consistently? Do
you have a style guide? Do some A/B testing!
• Never submit! Write for humans not machines! Try first person language on call to
action buttons.
• Start using some basic analytics tools e.g. Google Analytics (free) and Crazy
Egg. Whose job is it to analyze site usage and user behavior?
Try
This

62. 62
References
There are lots of great resources on UX / UI design, best practice and examples. Here are a few resources:
http://www.lukew.com
http://www.bypeople.com/how-to-design-an-awful-looking-sign-up-form-10-step-guide/
http://www.jeffbullas.com/2015/09/10/5-practical-ways-increase-conversions-website/
http://www.noupe.com/development/beautiful-forms.html
http://positionly.com/blog/inbound-marketing/call-to-action
http://designmodo.com/ux-tips-registration-forms/
https://www.google.com/design/spec/material-design/introduction.html#introduction-principles
Don’t make me think, Steven Krug:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Make-Me-Think-Usability/dp/0321965515

63. Thank you!
David Sommer
Product Director and Co-Founder of Kudos