User experience (UX) is now a central factor in the success of any website. A site that is visually appealing, fast, and easy to use can:
- increase your conversion rate,
- improve your SEO rankings,
- build visitor loyalty,
- strengthen your brand image.
Here are the 7 golden UX rules to optimize the user experience, with concrete examples, anti-patterns, and external links to reliable resources.
1. Prioritize clarity and simplicity
A user must understand within seconds:
- where they are,
- what you offer,
- what they can do next.
✔️ Good example
The Notion website uses a very clean layout:
- a short descriptive headline,
- a simple explanatory visual,
- a clear primary CTA.
❌ Bad example
An overloaded homepage where users don’t know where to look:
- 3 animated sliders,
- long, hard-to-read text,
- overly contrasted colors.
Resource :
Nielsen Norman Group – Usability Heuristics : https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/
2. Ensure intuitive navigation
Effective navigation relies on:
- short, logical menus,
- clear information architecture,
- breadcrumb navigation,
- consistent structure across pages.
✔️ Good example
A well-structured e-commerce navigation: logical, predictable, easy to browse.
- Women > Clothing > Dresses
- Men > Shoes > Sports
❌ Bad example
Generic and unclear categories such as:
- “Universe”,
- “Inspiration”,
- “Lifestyle Collection 2024”…
Resource:
Baymard Institute – E-commerce UX Guidelines : https://baymard.com/
3. Optimize the website for mobile
60% of web traffic is mobile : a non-optimized site = lost conversions.
To do:
- buttons large enough (44px min),
- simplified forms,
- clear mobile menu,
- extremely fast loading time (variable 4G networks).
✔️ Good example
A full-width validation button on mobile, easily reachable with the thumb.
❌ Bad example
A tiny burger menu or a pop-up that is impossible to close.
Test your website:
Google Mobile Friendly Test : https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly
4. Improve loading speed
A slow website = immediate loss of visitors and revenue.
After 3 seconds, 53% of users leave the page.
Best practices:
- compress images (WebP recommended),
- enable lazy loading,
- minify CSS/JS,
- avoid unnecessary plugins,
- use high-performance hosting.
✔️ Good example
Reducing an image from 2 MB to 200 KB = 10× faster loading time.
❌ Bad example
Using a 3000px image as a thumbnail.
Useful tools:
- PageSpeed Insights : https://pagespeed.web.dev/
- GTMetrix : https://gtmetrix.com/
5. Structure information and guide the user
Your layout should tell a story and guide the user’s eye.
Useful techniques:
- clear headings and subheadings,
- consistent font sizes,
- prominent CTAs,
- proper spacing,
- Z-pattern or F-pattern structure.
✔️ Good example
A well-designed contact page:
- Clear title
- Short explanatory paragraph
- Contact form
- Contact details
- Google Maps location
❌ Bad example
Placing a large Google Maps iframe at the very top instantly reduces clarity.
Resource:
UI Patterns : https://ui-patterns.com/
6. Build trust and reassure users
Trust has a direct impact on your conversion rate.
Elements to include:
- customer reviews,
- trust badges,
- accessible legal information,
- real team photos,
- clear return policy,
- visible contact information.
✔️ Good example
An e-commerce store displaying:
- “Free returns for 30 days”
- “100% secure payment”
- Verified customer reviews
❌ Bad example
No contact information or legal pages → instant loss of trust.
7. Test, analyze, and optimize
UX is never finished.
It’s a constant cycle: Test > Analyze > Improve > Repeat
Recommended tools:
- Heatmaps : Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity
- A/B testing : Google Optimize (ou alternatives)
- Analytics : GA4, Matomo
- A/B testing: Google Optimize (or alternatives)
- Analytics: GA4, Matomo
✔️ Good example
Testing two button versions (with +12% clicks for version B):
- A: “Buy now”
- B: “Add to cart”
Improving the UX of your website is a strategic investment that:
- optimizes the user journey,
- improves SEO,
- increases conversions,
- strengthens trust and satisfaction.
By applying these 7 golden rules, you offer visitors a modern, smooth, and reassuring experience.
