Technology is a powerful tool. It’s transformed everyone’s lives — often for the better.
However, tech also comes with its drawbacks, not the least of which is the fact that it can be difficult to use at times. Whether it’s from user error, bugs, malware or faulty hardware, there are plenty of issues that can send people flocking to the internet searching for answers.
Many companies have created technology content on their blog to help provide these answers. This is useful, at least if the process of finding a solution is easy.
That’s where UX (user experience) comes into the picture. If you’re a tech company with a blog, you need to make sure you focus on making your content about the user experience. Here are a few tips and techniques to help.
1. Know Your Audience
One of the first rules of good UX is knowing who it is that you’re catering to. If you don’t know your audience, it’s hard to give them a good user experience.
In the case of a technology blog, you want each tech writer to be aware of who they’re speaking to. What does your average customer look like? What about your average reader, in general?
It’s a good idea to create a buyer persona to provide a generic representation of your average audience member. That way, the next time you hire a writer or a freelance editor, you can quickly get them up to speed.
2. Empathize With Readers
If there’s one thing that the tech industry doesn’t have a reputation for, it’s being personable. Tech tends to be cold and calculating in most instances.
If a user is looking for a solution to a problem, this unfeeling attitude can make the experience even more frustrating.
Instead, make an effort to connect with each user. Meet them where they are and empathize with common pain points. Reflect on potential emotional frustration, then be personable with your tone and approach.
This disarms an upset user and invites them to discover the solution that you have to offer.
3. Don’t Beat Around the Bush
If someone is looking for a way to fix a problem, they want to find it quickly. The last thing they want to do is read through a long intro, a definition of the terms and a list of “benefits” of a specific topic before getting to the proffered solution they’re looking for.
Burying the lead works in the entertainment industry, and it’s a great sales technique, too. It has no place in tech.
It doesn’t matter if you’re creating a helpful podcast, scripting a how-to video, or composing a feature for your tech blog. If you’re answering a question with your content creation, do it upfront. Your customers will thank you.
4. Keep It Simple
Technology is complex. It may start with binary strings of “0s” and “1s,” but these add up to big, overwhelming pieces of code.
If you want your tech blog to provide a good user experience for those who use it, you need to avoid overwhelming them with the details. Instead, focus on providing information on a level your average customer would care about.
For instance, a data and analytics software company doesn’t need to break down the algorithms and pieces of code that make its products run. They need to task each tech writer with the job of communicating things like the pain points that their products solve. Emphasize how the software benefits the end-user. Offer tips that are easy to understand and implement.
5. Consider Website Navigation
On the more practical side of things, it’s important to consider website navigation in your pursuit of quality UX. Website navigation is the process of clicking from one piece of content to another — without getting frustrated along the way.
Consider your current site. Is it easy for visitors to find what they need? Can they move from one article to the next quickly? Is your menu quick to find and easy to use?
The ease (or lack thereof) with which a user can actually use your site plays a significant role in defining how good or bad your UX will be.
6. Other Website Design UX Factors to Consider
Website navigation is an enormous logistical UX factor. But there are other practical things to consider beyond the ability to flow from one piece of content to another on your tech blog. A few obvious ones include:
- Make your blog easily accessible from your home page.=
- Speed up your page loading speed
- Organize your content with tags, categories, topics and submenus
- Incorporate multimedia into your blog posts
- Ask for feedback from users
Tending to nitty-gritty aspects like these can add up to a major impact on your blog’s UX over time.
7. Tap Outside Writers for Help
One of the best ways to bring all of this together is by outsourcing the content creation work altogether. Rather than trusting in-house engineers to create content or paying through the nose for a full-time blog writer, hire a freelance writer.
This is sometimes seen as a cop-out or a course of action that could water down the quality of your blogs. But if you do it right, nothing could be further from the truth.
Will an outside technology writer be less familiar with your brand? Of course. But they can learn. And what they can bring with them in exchange for their lack of insider company knowledge can be well worth the learning curve.
A professional writer comes with the pre-established ability to create high-quality content. They can speak to pain points and resonate with readers. On top of that, if you vet your candidates well — or use a writer marketplace like PowerPublish — you can hire a niche writer that specializes in creating tech-related content.
Getting the Most Out of Your Technology Blog
A tech blog can offer a lot of value to readers. From presenting solutions to suggesting improvements to brainstorming alternative uses of different tech products, there is a lot of value to glean from a tech blog — when users can find it.
The challenge facing tech blog curators is making sure they optimize their blogs for users. Use the tips above to perfect the UX on your tech blog. That way, your content will perform better, your readers will be happier, and your entire company will benefit from the content creation effort.