Defining a user experience strategy takes time and dedication. And thanks to constant updates and tweaks, it will always be evolving. Every move you make needs to be made with a purpose in mind, which is why having a clearly defined strategy is so important.

A user experience strategy at its most basic level is a blueprint for all your activity. It’s something which will help guide you and stop you getting off track. It’s certainly not a good idea to make major or minor changes to websites without checking they align with your goals and are in the best interests of your users.

UX goes way beyond simply creating a cool design – there’s so much more depth to it than that. In order to dig deeper, you need a smart strategy that takes core areas into consideration. We’ve put together some key points that should form part of your UX strategy. Check them out below.

Define business goals

Hold up. Don’t be tempted to start planning your user experience strategy without pausing to consider your business goals. Everything you do should come back to the core pillars of the business.

Your UX strategy documentation should mirror or at least cite the larger business goals and discuss how they impact the design direction you are advocating. – UX Matters

Of course, your users are the most important thing, but anything you do needs to have a well thought-out plan behind it. If you don’t define business goals then your user experience work could end up being pointless, because, at the end of the day, you need to drive your business forward in the right way.

Create evaluation checkpoints

At the beginning, you will put together a long strategy document, but remember, it shouldn’t be set in stone. You should constantly be reviewing your activity and looking for ways to improve.

Not many UX designs get everything spot on in the first attempt, it’s a continuous battle to deliver what users want. And remember, if you manage to pick holes in your strategy, don’t fret, it’s not a sign of failure as UX does tend to include a little trial and error. As long as you are regularly checking everything you are doing and questioning whether it’s working, you will be on the right track.

Research what users want

Research should form a huge chunk of your strategy. You need to figure out exactly what it is your website users want and you can’t do this without a little observation. Enter A/B testing, where you test different versions of a page with altered elements to see which users respond best to. You can learn so much by doing this. Make sure your strategy includes doing some initial research first, and also on a regular basis to see if what you’re doing is working. ‘Watch and listen carefully. Be alert not only to the problems participants are having but also to the likely causes of those problems.’ (UX Planet)

Check out the competition

You wouldn’t open a shop on a street without first checking out your competition, would you? You might have a peek at their shop window to see what they are displaying and what appears to be drawing customers in. It’s the same online. It’s always handy to get an idea of competitive websites to see how people in your industry approach UX. You can steal some ideas and get some inspiration for your own designs.

Audience segmentation

Even if you’re targeting a specific audience, like mothers for example, your audience will be far more complex than that. You need to segment your audience into different groups or ‘personas’.

For example, Amy a young mum who is on social media a lot, or Lucy, a mother of three who likes to save time and money. This can help you to make sure your website is targeted to your audience properly and appeals to various different personas. It’s helpful to keep these audience segments in mind when discussing any website changes or updates.