What Makes A Good User Experience?
Today, user experience is more often being mentioned and emphasized on how important it is to businesses. User experience is how a person feels when interacting with a system such as a website, mobile app, desktop software, and so on. It is made of all aspects of a person’s experience, including everything they see, hear, and how they react emotionally.
Today’s customers, especially younger generations, tend to do their own research on products online before making a purchasing decision. And websites are usually their starting point. Thus, it’s fair to say that websites which can generate a good user experience are more likely to improve conversion rates. But what exactly makes a good website? Let’s take a closer look at website UX using Clarins’ website as an example.
Clarins is a French luxury cosmetics company that manufactures and sells high-class skin care and makeup products. Clarins’ popularity comes from the use of over 250 different natural plant extracts, which work just as effectively as chemical ingredients but do less harm to the skin. Its dedication to permanent innovation is another factor that makes it continue to dominate the market with its problem-solving products. Clarins’ products are characterized by being self-confident, sophisticated, urban looking, and “scientifically” beautiful. So how does Clarins’ do with its website UX? I’ll analyze the following aspects.
Functionality
Clarins did a good job of categorizing its products and services into different sections. On the top of its first page, you will see sections named what’s new, skincare, makeup, gifts, offers, spa & services, and about Clarins. It is easy for customers to navigate no matter if they are shopping with a specific target product in mind or just looking around. Below the top bar, they introduce their new products using the most eye-catching technique, the colorful picture. And scroll down a bit more, you will see the four exclusive benefits of online shopping, which are free shipping, free sample, rewards, and auto-replenishment. They also design a brief and interesting quiz for customers to know their perfect skin solution. Based on your answers, they offer personalized suggestions on skincare products and routines. Down below is the introduction about their value and contribution to the society and environment.
Aesthetics
Clarins chose white as the background color of their website, and this not only makes the website looks organized and consistent, but it also helps other sections to stand out more clearly. The most eye-catching part is definitely the new product section, as it appears with a bigger image and brighter color. However, I would personally suggest that Clarins may consider using a more dominant color such as red, because it may leave views a deeper impression and may better represent the brand since red is its logo color. Another factor is that the tap of the website is constantly flashing. Even though it may help attract customers' attention, it could be annoying when you try to focus on the content of the website. Therefore, it may be removed to improve the user experience.
Overall, I would say Clarins' website is very effective in introducing customers to its products and services. However, it may consider improving the aesthetic factors such as the background color and layout to make it even more delightful for customers to browse.
