Clear User Path

Topic: Is it clear what the ideal user should do next on every page?

The number one conversion killer is confusion. No matter what you’re trying to do – from selling merch to driving donations to getting people connected to local food pantries – the path to get there needs to be clear. Your real competition isn’t the org down the block doing the same thing as you, it’s boredom. You’re competing with the ticking clock of checking social, grabbing a drink of water, taking a bathroom break, the dog running in, the kid running in, etc. etc. etc. 

That’s why your path needs to be as clear as possible. Any time you’re making your audience work hard to figure out what to do next, you risk losing them. 

A good user path immediately answers the following questions for your user: 

1. Is this for me? 
2. If this is for me, am I in the right place? 
3. If I’m in the right place, what am I supposed to do next?

There are many, many ways to answer these questions for your audience. Your visual branding, your website copy, and every part of your user experience sends signals. Here are a few of the ways you can improve every part of your site.

Hero Section

The website content that appears when visitors first visit your website – typically your site logo, navigation, banner, headline, and buttons – is your hero section. 

As the first thing your users see, your hero section typically has the biggest effect on your conversions. A good hero section has a compelling headline and visual to grab visitor attention, a clear call to action to provide the next step, and maybe soe descriptive text to help establish your unique selling proposition.

A clear user path starts in the hero section

If you work in a large, risk-averse organization, there will be a strong temptation to make the hero section a catch-all carousel. The driving force for hero section content might be office politics instead of sales. Carousels are great at being inoffensive, but they’re bad for conversions. Why?

• Slider carousels (data show that these do nor perform as well as just one story at a time. By the time the brain processes what it’s seeing, the carousel has moved.)
• Too much cognitive load keeping track of all the carousel stuff
• A 2023 Baynard research study found that of sites that do use carousels, 28% implement them incorrectly– an improvement from 75% in 2020. (Source: https://baymard.com/blog/ecommerce-navigation-best-practice)

With this data arguing against carousels, why do we see them at all? They can work, but only if your can support them with personalization. 

Amazon, the best in the game when it comes to optimizing for conversions, customizes the hero experience based on who’s logged in. These are heavy on product images, light on copy, and static. They want you to be able to take a second and really think about their suggestions. This is brilliant because static content sections perform better than moving ones. By the time your brain processes the words and images it’s seeing, the carousel slides to the next image. It’s heavy on cognitive load.

However, when carousels are low cognitive load – such as when the carousel is actually the least important CTA in the hero – then it’s fine to have a slider. In Amazon’s example, they use this space as a way to promote its services like Prime Video or whatever the video game thing is in the screenshot above.

A 2023 Baynard research study found that of sites that do use carousels, 28% implement them incorrectly– an improvement from 75% in 2020. (Source: https://baymard.com/blog/ecommerce-navigation-best-practice);. That makes it critical to implement your hero section correctly, especially if you have a carousel. 

Target’s approach to a hero doesn’t leverage personalization like Amazon, but it does reinforce the effectiveness of static content. 

No carousels, just clear value propositions. The path for the user is very clear: 

• If something in the hero section looks compelling to users, they’ll click.
• Otherwise, they’ll use the friendly menu or “What can we help you find?” search bar

Give people clearly articulated choices/user paths

When designing your website, one of the most critical aspects to consider is how you present choices to your users. A clear and well-defined user path ensures that visitors can easily navigate your site and find the information or services they need without unnecessary confusion. Here are some key principles to keep in mind:

Don’t confuse people by giving them too many options/paths

One of the most common mistakes in website design is overwhelming users with too many options. When faced with an excessive number of choices, users can experience decision fatigue, leading to frustration and potential abandonment of the site. To avoid this, streamline the choices you present. Focus on guiding your users toward the most relevant actions or content based on their needs and interests.

Help them self-select for the content that they’re most interested in or what stage of awareness they’re in

Your website should be designed to help users self-select the content or actions most relevant to them. This can be achieved through intuitive menus, clearly labeled sections, or even personalized recommendations. By allowing users to identify themselves – whether they’re new visitors, returning customers, or seeking specific information – you can tailor their experience and direct them to the most appropriate resources or actions.

Ensure menus are clean and easy to read

A clean, easy-to-read menu is essential for a positive user experience. Complex or cluttered menus can be daunting, causing users to struggle with navigation. Simplify your menus by categorizing options logically and using clear, concise labels. A well-organized menu can significantly reduce the cognitive load on users, making it easier for them to find what they’re looking for.

Make sure it’s easy for users to determine where they are on your page at any given moment

Users should always know where they are on your site and how they can move to the next step. This can be achieved through clear visual cues, such as highlighted navigation links or breadcrumbs that indicate the user’s current position. A Nielsen Norman Group article emphasizes the importance of highlighting the user’s current scope in the main navigation, noting that 89% of sites fail to do this effectively. Implementing these cues can significantly improve user orientation and reduce frustration.

Meet your customer where they are

Understanding your audience is key to creating effective user paths. Anticipate their needs and interests, and design your site to address them. For example, if your site serves both individual users and teams, consider creating separate paths tailored to each group. CXL does this effectively by allowing users to choose between individual and team-oriented content paths, with tailored CTAs and resources once a path is selected. This approach not only enhances user satisfaction but also drives conversions by aligning the user experience with specific needs.

Tips for evaluating or creating a clear user path

1. Have a clear call to action: Ensure that every page on your site has a clear and compelling call to action (CTA). This could be a button, link, or prompt that guides the user to the next step, whether that’s signing up, making a purchase, or exploring more content.
2. Identify your audience segments: Understand who your users are and segment them based on their needs, interests, or behaviors. This will allow you to tailor the user paths more effectively and deliver content that resonates with each segment.
3. Determine what content each segment wants to see: Once you’ve identified your audience segments, map out the specific content or actions each group is likely to seek. This will help you create focused and relevant user paths that meet the unique needs of each segment.
4. Determine how to get the user to what they want to see as quickly and cleanly as possible: Speed and simplicity are crucial in guiding users to their desired content or actions. Minimize unnecessary steps or distractions, and ensure that the user path is direct and intuitive. The quicker and cleaner the path, the higher the likelihood of a positive user experience and successful conversions.