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Can't Program Me Love

Can't Program Me Love

Are you in a strange, long-distance relationship with your website? Are you up late at night because your tech support is in a different time zone?

Maybe the human-web relationship is not your thing. Maybe, Man and Website are just not meant to be. It's too rough, too tough. I feel you. But, have you ever considered enriching your UX?

No, it's not a new kind of diet. It's UX -- user experience.

All websites have one form of UX or another. Whether it's UX for a site about food trucks or a website with copious amounts of cat videos -- every designed component that a user can physically see is considered a part of the UX. However, this doesn't mean that UX is the design itself. Even if you consider all the variations of web layouts and compare endless combinations of font families -- the true purpose of UX is to become a planned road that guides your users towards their destination.

Imagine you're building a new highway and you want it to accommodate as many people as possible. How far will it go? Where will it take you? How many ramps do you need in order to let people enter and exit?

To answer these questions, you have to know what "your people" need. Your people are your website visitors, your target audiences and they most likely need many things.

There are times when all needs can't be met. Businesses may want to hone in on a particular audience, requiring only a certain set of needs. For instances, a children's hospital may not need to offer services for senior citizens.

So what is the secret to good UX? Love. No matter what.

It's no different than the service you'd expect from a 5-star restaurant; waiting for you, hand on foot. The challenge in creating this loving environment is to become seamless. A website should allow users to dine (visit) at their own pace, without being conscious of the obstacles they have to overcome. A user must feel that the website is putting the user's needs in priority, regardless of where they are within a meal (website). And when a person orders dessert, they shouldn't get the check right after. Rather, the person should receive recommendations on wines that pair with their dessert.

Once all the needs are discovered and prioritized, you have to pit those needs against your own (website owner's) needs.

Ultimately, the success of your website lies within a conclusive battle of epic proportions: Your people's needs vs. Your needs.

May the best need win.