How to design a user-friendly website based on UX? – The step-by-step guide

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In the modern digital world, a website is not just a scenery. It is not just a sum of code and colors, but a source of experience, guidance, and sometimes trust. A website becomes truly effective if the visitor does not feel that they are “using” it – because they naturally lead it towards the goal. 🎯

Why is a user-friendly website and UX design vital?

Definition and Significance of User Experience (UX)

UX – or user experience – is much more than aesthetics. It examines how the user feels and experiences while using the site. A well-designed UX gives you a good experience, but a bad one only gives you frustration. 😫

A website does not become usable because it works, but because it is understood.

Why is beautiful design not enough?

No matter how eye-catching the interface is, the visitor can’t find what they’re looking for. Form, therefore, must serve the function. UX helps with this.

The business benefits: increased conversions, decreasing bounce rates

A UX-optimized page increases conversions, improves the customer experience, and reduces bounce rates. 📉

Characteristics of a user-friendly website

• 🧭 Intuitive navigation
• ⚡ Fast loading speed
• 📱 Responsive design (both mobile and desktop)
• ♿ Accessible for all

Responsive design isn’t just about screen size – it’s about people’s life situations.

Steps to design a user-friendly website (UX design process)

1. Research and creation of user personas

Good UX design always starts with research. You can’t shoot at random.

• Ask your target audience
• Create personas (e.g., “Peter, the rushing CEO”)
• Use online surveys or interviews
• Conduct Competitor Analysis 🔍

2. Creating an information architecture (IA) and a site map

If you don’t know where everything is, then visitors will get lost. Well-structured content is half the battle.

• Logical grouping of content
• Application of the card sorting technique
• Planning 🗂️ a navigation hierarchy

3. Wireframe and prototyping

This is where the plan begins to come to life.

• Low-fidelity wireframes (paper, online tool)
• Medium and high fidelity prototypes (e.g. Figma, Adobe XD)
• Interactive prototypes, testable versions 📐

4. UI design and visual appearance

The visual layer is what the user first notices. But it doesn’t matter how!

• Brand image tracking
• Harmonious color palette 🎨
• Readable typography
• Consistent icons and elements

5. Testing and Iteration

Even the best design can fail if it is not tested.

• User tests (eye tracking, usability interviews)
• A/B Tests
• Collecting and correcting ♻️ errors

The best UX is the one you don’t even notice – because everything is simply in place.

Principles for a great user experience

Simplicity and transparency

Don’t make it too complicated. Less is sometimes more. Minimalism ≠ boredom.

Consistency

Every button should look the same, every interaction should work the same. 👇

Feedback and error messages

The user always knows what happened. If an error occurs, the message should not be cold, but should help.

Accessibility

UX isn’t just for the sighted. A good website is for everyone – screen readers, keyboard navigation, contrast ratios.

Speed and performance optimization

• Image optimization (WebP, lazy loading)
• Code minimization
• Hosting optimization 🚀

The fewer things that distract the visitor, the faster they become a customer.

Common mistakes to avoid when designing UX

Ignoring the user

If the design follows the vision of the driver’s mind, not the needs of the real user – that’s a failure.

Overloaded surface

If everything is important, nothing will be. 🧱

Poor navigation

The navigation menu is not a game – it is the basis for orientation.

Outdated content

There is nothing worse than a blog that has not been updated for three years.

If your visitor has to think about what to do – then you have planned something wrong.

Case study: How did a customer service page become a conversion machine? 🔍

During the redesign of the website of a Hungarian e-commerce company, the focus was on drastically improving the user experience. At the start of the project, 68% of visitors left the page within 10 seconds. The goal was to reduce this number by at least 40%, while increasing the proportion of adding to the basket and making purchases.

During the redesign:

• 🔄 Complete information architecture redesign based on heatmap analysis
• 📞 Instead of a contact form, an interactive chatbot has been introduced
• 🧪 Prototypes were tested with real users, and the navigation system was optimized based on iterations
• ⚖️ The contrast ratio of all elements met accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1)

The result? In three months:

• 39% increase in average time spent on a page
• 52% improvement in conversion rate
• 71% reduction in bounce rate

This example proves that UX is not just a matter of design. Redesigning a website depends on exploring the real needs of users – not visual intuition.

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions About User-Friendly Website Design

What is the difference between UX and UI?
UX is the experience, UI is the look. UX: how it works. PS: what it looks like.

How long does it take to design a user-friendly website?
It can take up to 2-6 weeks, but it depends on the complexity and depth of testing.

Do I need a UX designer?
If you want serious conversions and a competitive advantage, then yes. 👨‍💻

What are the best UX design tools?
Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, UXPin, Miro.