Enhancing User Experience on Websites

Our first big decision of 2025: Not renewing with our review site vendor. Being a review site customer has become standard for B2B SaaS. But I’d encourage companies—particularly in the earlier stages where budget is tight— to take a moment and ask themselves if it’s a worthwhile investment anymore. We did Wynter testing that showed our audience placed almost no value on badges and scores. What they DID care about were video testimonials, written testimonials with names and titles, and on-demand product demos. So in 2025, we're doubling down on our greatest assets: our people and product. While every company claims to have great talent and a great product, we have the customer validation to prove it. Here's our execution plan: ✔️ Expanding our video testimonial library ✔️ Collecting old-school, detailed letters of recommendation ✔️ Building a "Customer Stories" hub that showcases real results ✔️ Highlighting our real people on our website ✔️Creating an interactive product playground Why this matters: In a world of AI-generated reviews and pay-to-play rankings, real human connections cut through the noise. Our customers have spoken, and we're listening. Here's to building trust through transparency in 2025. Curious: Have you noticed review site badges losing their impact?

We fixed a UX issue that quietly kills conversions. (And most websites never notice it.) This one’s sneaky. It’s not a broken button. Not bad colors. It’s confusing. In the first 5 seconds. Here’s what users really think when they land: - Can this team actually build what I need?” - And if the answer isn’t obvious? - They bounce. So we redesigned the Fully Built construction website from scratch. Here’s how we turned vague into valuable: 1. Cut the fluff. Clarity first. No buzzwords. No bloated intros. We answered the real question upfront: “Here’s what we do, how we help, and why you should trust us.” Because vague = risk. Clear = confident. 2. Designed for quick scans, not deep reads. We simplified the structure with: - Clean hierarchy - Strong visual breaks - Skimmable sections So users don’t search for info, they spot it instantly. 3. Built trust into the layout We ditched the cookie-cutter look. And gave it: - Warm, professional aesthetics - Real project proof - Clear process breakdown Because trust doesn’t come from “modern.” It comes from feeling reliable. 4. Focused on decisions, not decoration Pretty ≠ persuasive Trendy ≠ trustworthy UX isn’t about looking nice. It’s about guiding serious users to say yes. 5. Treated it like a rescue, not a facelift The old site wasn’t just messy. It was confusing, hesitant, and hard to trust. We didn’t polish it. We rethought the entire experience. Now it’s conversion-ready. Before: Wordy, vague, forgettable After: Clear, confident, high-converting Because great UX doesn’t just “look” better. It makes more sense to the people who matter. ⚠️ Final thought: If your website can’t pass the 5-second test, ↳ you’re leaking leads quietly. Want a breakdown on how we mapped clarity into every section? Ask me anything about it.

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐔𝐒 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬: Convenience sounds like a win… But in reality—control builds the trust that scales. We were working to improve product adoption for a US-based platform. Most founders instinctively look at cutting clicks, shortening steps, making the onboarding as fast as possible. We did too — until real user patterns told a different story. 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲, 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: -Added more decision points -Let users customize their flow -Gave options to manually pick settings -instead of forcing defaults -Conversions went up. -Engagement improved. Most importantly, user trust deepened. You can design a sleek two-click journey. But if the user doesn’t feel in control, they hesitate. Especially in the US, where data privacy and digital autonomy are non-negotiable — transparency and control win. Some moments that made this obvious: People disable auto-fill just to type things in manually. They skip quick recommendations to compare on their own. Features that auto-execute without explicit consent? Often uninstalled. It’s not inefficiency. It’s digital self-preservation. A mindset of: “Don’t decide for me. Let me drive.” I’ve seen this mistake cost real money. One client rolled out an automation that quietly activated in the background. Instead of delighting users, it alienated 20% of them. Because the perception was: “You took control without asking.” Meanwhile, platforms that use clear prompts — “Are you sure?” “Review before submitting” Easy toggles and edits — those build long-term trust. That’s the real game. What I now recommend to every tech founder building for the US market: Don’t just optimize for frictionless onboarding. Optimize for visible control. Add micro-trust signals like “No hidden fees,” “You can edit this later,” and toggles that show choice. Make the user feel in charge at every key step. Trust isn’t built by speed. It’s built by respecting the user’s right to decide. If you’re a tech founder or product owner, stop assuming speed is everything. Start building systems that say: “You’re in control.” 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬? 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬. #UserExperience #ProductDesign #TrustByDesign #TechForUSMarket #businesscoach #coachishleenkaur LinkedIn News LinkedIn News India LinkedIn for Small Business

Imagine landing on a website and feeling unsure about staying. That’s how users feel when trust isn’t established right away. Building trust isn’t complicated, but it requires attention to detail. Here’s how to make users trust your website instantly: 1️⃣ Show Contact Information Display a phone number, email, and physical address clearly. A visible “Contact Us” page makes your site feel more reliable. 2️⃣ Use an SSL Certificate Make sure your website shows “https” and a padlock icon. Users want to know their data is secure. 3️⃣ Include Customer Reviews Showcase genuine testimonials and ratings. People trust other customers’ experiences more than promises. 4️⃣ Highlight Trust Badges Display security certifications, payment seals, and industry awards prominently. These act as credibility markers. 5️⃣ Keep the Design Professional A clean, modern design with no broken links or errors tells users your site is maintained and trustworthy. Trust starts with the first impression. Which of these will you implement on your website today?

Would you trust a $600K transaction... on a site that looks like a weekend MVP? That was the question I couldn’t shake while exploring a fintech idea. No stakeholders. No client brief. Just one belief I wanted to test: 𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦 — 𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. So we designed a concept for a next-gen expense platform. Not to show off visuals. To show 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝. Because real trust isn’t built with badges and buzzwords. It’s built through: - A landing page that signals confidence - A UI that says “we’re solid” before a line of copy is read - A product that feels like it belongs in boardrooms, not hackathons Every element here was built to answer one question: “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦?” This wasn’t about pretty interfaces. It was about perception architecture, how your design feels before anyone scrolls or clicks. If your product handles millions, but still looks like it handles a hundred… You're not just leaving money on the table — you're repelling the clients you're actually built for.

Did you know referrals spend 8x more time on your website? Well, they do for my website! We’ve uncovered an interesting stat: visitors who come to our website through referrals spend eight times more time browsing than those who find us through other channels. Think about that. Referrals aren’t just a bonus—they’re golden opportunities to engage deeper. So, what does this tell us about referrals, and how can we make the most of this insight? Here are three takeaways worth considering: 1. Referrals bring trust to the table. When someone gets referred to your business, they’re not starting from scratch. They’ve already received a vote of confidence from someone they trust. This pre-built trust translates to more curiosity and a higher willingness to explore what you have to offer. If you’re not actively encouraging referrals, you’re missing out on leads that already come with a foot in the door. 2. Quality content keeps them hooked. Spending more time on your site likely means one thing: your message is hitting the mark. It’s not enough to just attract visitors—you need to give them a reason to stay. Are you creating a message that’s not only informative but also answers the questions your target audience didn’t even know they had? And are you creating deep-dive resources, real-life examples, and clear calls to action are essential? 3. Your network is your biggest asset. Referrals don’t happen by accident. They’re a direct result of the relationships you’ve built. Whether it’s clients, collaborators, or fans of your brand, nurturing these connections pays off. Think of ways to make it easy for people to refer you: loyalty perks, shareable content, or even a simple shout-out when someone sends business your way. This stat isn’t just a data point for us; it’s a roadmap for refining our strategies. Gossip Media | Creative Growth Marketing Melanie Amini

Popups work. That’s not up for debate. They drive conversions, collect emails, nudge upgrades. But most of them also interrupt the user, wreck the experience, and quietly damage SEO. So the common reaction is: 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. But that’s throwing out the tactic instead of fixing the execution. What actually works is targeted popups, like the one Groove used in this example. It wasn’t aggressive. It wasn’t everywhere. It was shown in the billing section and clearly explained how much the user would save by upgrading. Personalized. Helpful. Contextual. That’s the difference. When they launched it, Groove saw: – Monthly upgrades jump from 5 to 53 – Annual subscriptions rise from 18 to 25 A 10x lift, without hurting the user experience or the brand’s credibility. So yes: popups can absolutely work when they’re useful and intentional. The bigger question is: Are yours actually helping the user make a better decision or are they just demanding attention? Curious to hear your take: Have you seen popups that actually improved UX and conversions? Or are you still firmly in the “ban them all” camp?

You’re treating clicks like it’s a conversion path, but your users are navigating it like a minefield. 💣 It’s not just a gap in data, it’s a gap in perspective. 👀 Users aren't just navigating your website, they're navigating their trust in you. 👉 The real signal? It’s in the ⏸️ pause before the click. That moment of: “I’m curious… but I don’t trust you yet.” → Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) typically prioritizes visible trust indicators like badges, reviews, and guarantees. But most of the time, it overlooks a critical variable: emotional reassurance. Why is this important? According to behavioral insights, users form gut-level judgments in as little as 50 milliseconds. So, before logic takes hold, emotion decides. Put another way… Ignore the emotional pause, that split-second user skimming your content, and you risk losing potential conversions before trust is even on the table. ❇️ This is where trust is won or lost. 👉 So then, how can we get better at offering emotional reassurance? Small shifts in language. Take this illustrative example: 👇 A fintech startup with auto investing powered by AI (yup, you guessed it), sleek UX and zero commission, and the whole shebang. Everything looked right....but conversions stalled at the “Connect your bank” step. ❌ Dashboards showed low click-through. The typical response? → Increase Ad spend. Push more traffic. But having a session 📺 replay helped tell a deeper story: → People hovered over the tooltip “Why do we need this?” link…then left. But how come? The tool tip was perfect, factual, accurate, informative, and linked to more info.. Well… What if we made a real change with something more human, something that changes that emotional moment before the click…Why? 👉 Because...small shifts in language lead to big shifts in belief. ✅ The generic tooltip with something ❤️ human: ⤵ “We use bank-level encryption. Your money stays in your account until you choose to invest. You’re in full control, always.” ✅ Then add a founder’s note with their pic 🤳: ⤵ “We’ve been burned by hidden fees too. This platform is different, and we’ll prove it.” I bet you can already imagine the impact this change can make…bounce rate will drop, bank connections will rise, and trust will become more believable. Real connection isn’t created by over-optimized funnels, shorter forms, fewer fields, and faster clicks alone. 👉 It's built in the quiet spaces between words, in the ❤️ hearts and 🧠 minds of people. → The pause. →→ The restraint. →→→ The earned emotion. So if your voice feels like it’s loud and pushing for a conversion…try whispering something real instead. Trust is built in the ⏸️ pause, not the push. #B2BMarketing #Marketing #Startups #Sales #AI #Leadership #Strategy

Pop-ups: The DOs and DON’Ts... Pop-ups are a powerful eCom tool when done right. They help brands build email lists and drive conversions. But if done wrong, they can frustrate customers, hurt long-term loyalty and LTV. Here are 4 key considerations for using pop-ups effectively: 1️⃣ Timing is Everything Launching a pop-up as soon as a customer lands is often a bad move. It’s a bit like walking into a store and someone immediately shouting, “Do you want a discount?!” It looks needy. Give customers time to browse. A good place to start is to trigger the pop-up slightly earlier than your average time-on-site and never at checkout. 2️⃣ Offer Real Value People won’t share their information for no reason. Whether it’s a discount, free shipping, or VIP access, make sure your offer is compelling and brand-aligned. 3️⃣ Make Exiting Easy Not everyone will take the offer and that’s fine. But if closing the pop-up is difficult, customers will leave the site. Ensure the close button is clear and easy to find. 4️⃣ Do You Even Need a Pop-Up? Not every brand should use them. Luxury brands often avoid pop-ups because discounts cheapen their positioning. If exclusivity is part of your appeal, reconsider whether a pop-up is needed at all. 👇 Have you found a pop-up strategy that works best for your audience? brands reference HERA Clothing, Posh Totty Designs Ltd and Allbirds (all brands on Shopify)

Your pop-up is the reason your email list is not growing. Most brands just install one basic pop-up and think that's enough to grow their email list. Well, if you're serious about growing and scaling - it's not enough. At AJ Media, we cover the entire funnel with personalized pop-ups based on a customer’s stage and history with the brand. Here’s how we do it: 👉 New visitors → Get an incentive to join the email list. 👉 Existing email subscribers → Get a better offer to join SMS. 👉 Customers → Get a tailored offer to initiate a repeat purchase + collect zero-party data. 👉 Loyal customers → Get VIP perks + collect even richer data for segmentation. This way, customers aren’t overwhelmed with too many pop-ups at once. Instead, they see the right message at the right time. ✅ Higher conversions. ✅ Better customer experience. ✅ More personalized retention strategies. And not to mention that you should always have a specific pop-up for desktop & mobile.