More CEOs are starting to grasp just how much their website’s performance is impacting revenue and, in turn, shareholder value. And you don’t need to be a large corporation to benefit from this knowledge. Being smaller may even make you more nimble in adjusting to tomorrow’s user experience – or UX – landscape.
Most businesses openly admit they are struggling to catch up in this area. That’s why strengthening your website UX where you can, rather than becoming paralyzed by inaction, will help turn consumer interest into action and loyalty.
Why Website UX Matters to Your Brand
Today’s “user experience” ties many branding elements together. Combining a strong brand strategy with search marketing is the most effective way growing companies will be able to deliver a cohesive experience to their customers.
It’s not just for ranking or visibility, although those things are important. On the business side, strategists can get better at mapping the customer’s journey to meet users where they are. And on the search side, UX will help you align online searches with higher functionality when people land on your website.
What You Should Know About Improving Your UX
Without a great UX, even a strong brand or high-visibility search placement may underperform. That’s because it’s part of a larger content ecosystem. Users will bounce or disengage if the experience is confusing or doesn’t deliver value. High-functioning SEO depends on UX that works just as well.
Four rules of thumb will help you get there:
- Brand awareness: A brand that’s well-defined helps the UX team by providing clear voice/tone/style standards. This creates consistency in areas like site navigation and the user’s experience on your website.
- Scheduled check-ins: Check in regularly with content writers, service teams, R&D, and brand strategists to make sure they’re all on board.
- Alignment between branding & searches: Look for ways to bridge discovery and conversion (brand/marketing) – for example, using consistent design and keywords, plus clear calls to action, that reflect your brand.
- Attention to off-page, external factors: Having a positive reputation in your area and encouraging brand mentions can also help search performance.
Search teams must ensure the different players are working together to execute your goals properly. For integration across teams, make sure that even seemingly separate entities work together, from “creatives” to IT to the physical design of your space.
The Future of User Experience: Your Website in 2026
In 2026 and beyond, understanding your website’s user experience will mean getting beyond surface metrics. Findings from a digital marketing industry report, State of SEO 2026, help explain what the future holds.
A few key points help answer the question: How can I keep my website performing for users in an evolving UX landscape?
1. Cross-Functional Collaboration Must Improve
The vast majority of participants reported a serious weakness in collaboration between departments. Fewer than 10% said they generally work together on shared goals. Moving forward, team members need to know what their colleagues in SEO, content development and sales are doing.
- Integration matters: Integrate across-team collaboration into your overall strategies to maximize the impact of SEO and content.
- Opportunity: Unlock performance gains that can lead to more growth.
A new focus on across-team collaboration is going to ensure your web UX supports your brand promises as well as search outcomes.
2. Address Lower Traffic Due to Changing Algorithms
It’s easy to see where some of the biggest marketing challenges are coming from in the changing world of SEO. Some 60% of professionals said they still struggle with Google’s near-constant algorithm changes.
This includes the emergence of AI Overviews, which are reducing organic traffic in particular. That’s the traffic that matters the most, which is why “Answer Engine Optimization” needs to inform your SEO plans. Those models should be updated periodically. Without examining traditional SEO models, what companies have in place is in danger of becoming obsolete.
3. Resolve SEO with Better Content Operations
When it comes to growth and SEO, content creation continues to pose major challenges to companies, as well. This is because it takes a lot of hours and energy to scale every aspect of content creation, from planning content calendars to optimizing your web pages with the proper use of keywords.
- Organize your content processes: Getting ahead of these operational inefficiencies is sure to speed up growth across organizations.
- Invest in a system: If your infrastructure is lacking, you may need to invest in training writers (or hiring new ones), creating better content systems, implementing new automation, having more realistic workflows – or all of the above.
Consult with a digital marketing firm that has the resources to take over whatever elements no longer work for you.
For a More Profitable Website, Contact Connections Marketing
Want a website UX solution that can start today? Connections Marketing’s digital experts know how to make simple adjustments that help companies across industries address the above challenges. We help SMBs:
- Identify areas where web performance is slowing you down
- Take steps to ensure content and brand consistency
- Repurpose content wisely when possible
Call 312-924-0252 about our different user experience strategies – or reach out online with questions and we’ll get back to you ASAP.