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International Journal of Innovative Research in Computer Science & Technology (IJIRCST)
ISSN (online): 2347-5552, Volume-11, Issue-3, May 2023
https://doi.org/10.55524/ijircst.2023.11.3.5
Article ID IRP1380, Pages 27-31
www.ijircst.org
Innovative Research Publication 27
The Importance of Website Usability in Digital Marketing-
A Review
Heemakshi Sharma1, and Khushboo Tripathi2
1 Scholar, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, ASET, Amity University, Gurugram, Haryana, India
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, ASET, Amity University, Gurugram, Haryana, India
Correspondence should be addressed to Heemakshi Sharma; heemakshisharma03@gmail.com
Copyright © 2023 Made Heemakshi Sharmae at al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
ABSTRACT- The effectiveness of any digital marketing
strategy is strongly dependent on the user experience of the
website being promoted. A website that is difficult to
browse, confusing or slow to load the content can result in
a poor user experience and, as a result there is a loss in
leads or consumers. A website that is easy to use, well-
organized and optimised for mobile devices, on the other
hand can help improve user engagement, raise conversion
rates and ultimately boost the success of digital marketing
initiatives. This paper shows the significance of website
usability in digital marketing and explores the impact of
website usability on user experience and how it can affect
the key performance indicators such as bounce rates,
session duration and conversion rates. By emphasising the
importance of website usability in digital marketing, this
paper intends to give actionable insights for business
looking to improve the user’s website’s user experience
and maximise the digital marketing campaigns.
Understanding the impact of website usability on the
performance of digital marketing efforts allows
organisations to make informed decisions regarding
website design and functionality to create good user
experience that increases engagement and conversion.
KEYWORDS- digital Marketing, mobile optimisation
(responsiveness), search functionality (SEO), website
design, website usability
I. INTRODUCTION
The creation of websites for the internet or a private
network is referred to as web development. Web
development projects can range from simple static plain
text sites to complicated web apps like e-commerce
development and social network services. Web
engineering, web design, website development, client
liaison, client-side/server-side scripting, web server and
network security settings and e-commerce development
are all part of this process of website development.
Website development often focuses on the non-design
components of website creation, such as writing, markup
and coding. CMSs (content management systems) can be
used to make modifications to material easier and more
accessible. Web development teams in larger
organisations may contain numerous workers who use
standard approaches such as Agile methodology. In
contrast, smaller businesses may only need to hire one full-
time or contracted developer or they might combine job
roles such as having a single person handle both graphic
design and data systems maintenance [1].
Web development can be a collaborative effort amongst
departments, and there are three sorts of web developer
specializations: front-end developer, back-end developer
and a full-stack developer. Front-end developers work on
the behaviour and graphics that appear in the user’s
browser while back-end developers work on the servers.
Full-stack developers are the ones that cover both the
front-end and back-end developer’s part.
Personal networking and marketing have also been
influenced by web development. Websites and no longer
merely instruments for work or commerce, they are now
platforms for communication and social networking.
Social media such as Facebook and twitter provide people
with a platform to communicate and a more personal and
interactive manner to engage the public.
The notation of the worldwide web is inextricably tied with
the Hypertext Markup Language (Html). Html is used to
define web page components such as sections, paragraphs,
headers, tables, lists and interactive forms. This term is
employed to depict the arrangement or format of
webpages. Html also enables for the incorporation of
external resources such as photos, videos and other things
into a webpage.
Modern web development practices emphasize structure
and style separation, with HTML defining structure and
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) defining style. JavaScript is
another language that is widely used in conjunction with
HTML to provide interactivity and dynamism to web
pages the emergence of web 2.2 necessitates the evolution
of web languages in order to formalise already recognised
best practices in online development. We examine the
significant innovations in new web standards and
protocols. In this paper the emphasis is mostly on the new
HTML version, its components and extensions and new
CSS syntax possibilities. Also new JavaScript APIs that
enable whole new ways of web development like browser-
based databases, Geolocation and full duplex
communication between a browser and a server have been
used over here.
International Journal of Innovative Research in Computer Science & Technology (IJIRCST)
Innovative Research Publication 28
II. CONVENTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES IN
WEB DEVELOPMENT
It is usual practice to categorise web technologies based on
whether they are used on the client - side or server - side
of online applications. Understanding the main categories
of web technologies is critical for individuals who want to
work in web development. As a result, below is the list of
web development technologies organised by usage
category: [2]
Browsers
HTML and CSS
Programming Languages
Frameworks
Web servers
Databases
Protocols
A. Frontend Design Strategies
a) HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
HTML or hypertext markup language is a computer
language designed to make it easier to develop web pages
that can be visited by anyone with Internet connection. It
is a simple language to learn, and most individuals can
understand the fundamentals in a single setting under the
direction the organization responsible for establishing and
maintaining the language. The language is regularly
updated and enhanced to suit the expectations of the
increasing Internet audience. Hypertext is used to build
hyperlinks, which allows the user to navigate the web.
HTML tags are used to mark up the text within them,
marking it as a specific kind (for example italicised).
HTML is classified as a markup language because it uses
code words and syntax similar to markup languages.
HTML is made up of short codes that the website designer
types into a text file, which is then saved as an HTML file
and accessed by web browser such as Google Chrome,
Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer. The browser scans
the file and converts the text into an image. A simple text
editor or a complex graphical editor can be used to build
HTML pages. The language is written in the form of
HTML elements, which are tags contained in a angular
brackets such as HTML, within the text of a
webpage.HTML tags are often used in pairs, with the first
tag serving as the start tag and the second tag serving as
the end tag (also known as the opening tag and closing
tag). Text, tags and other elements can be added by web
designers.
Web browser scan HTML documents and employ tags to
interpret the content of the page and display it visually and
vocally. HTML components are the basic building blocks
of all web pages and web browsers may also use CSS to
specify the appearance and layout of text and other
content.
b) CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
CSS is the language used to specify the appearance in
formatting of a page produced in a markup language, the
most common of which being HTML. Its primary
objective is to isolate documents information from its
presentation features including layouts, fonts and colours.
The split allows for More control over display qualities,
enhances accessibility, former simplifies, formatting
uniformity across numerous pages and lower structural
content complexity. CSS may also be used to apply
different styles depending on the rendering technology
such as on screen of Braille based devices or different
screen sizes. CSS is classified into 3 types: inline, internal
or embedded and external. CSS benefits include time
savings through the reuse of style sheets, quicker website
loading times easier maintenance through global updates,
the potential to build superior styles compared to HTML,
interoperability with many platforms and adherence to
worldwide web standards.
c) JavaScript
JavaScript is a computer language that developers all over
the globe used to produce dynamic and interactive online
content. It is a lightweight, interpreted language that
together with HTML and CSS is a key component of the
world wide web. JavaScript scripts are embedded in or
included from html text as a client - side programming
language and execute directly in the user’s browser. One
of the JavaScript's key advantages is its speed, since it can
be executed directly within the client - side browser
without the need for network calls to a backend server. It
is also an easy language to learn and use and it is
extensively used and popular. JavaScript also has high
compatibility with other languages making it ideal for a
wide range of applications including the creation of rich
interfaces.
It also decreases the strain on website servers because it is
client - side. However, because the code operates on the
user’s computer, it may occasionally be abused for
nefarious reasons, which is why some users disable it.
Furthermore, JavaScript is sometimes interpreted
differently by different browsers, making cross browser
programming challenging to build.
B. Backend Design Strategies
a) PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor)
PHP is a popular server -side programming language for
web development. It was initially intended for the creation
of dynamic web pages, but it is now mostly used for server
- side scripting, command line scripting and the
development of desktop programs. PHP is an open source,
free to use programming languages which has grown to the
one of the most popular for web development. It is often
used with web content management system (CMS) like
WordPress and Joomla as well as popular frameworks
such as Symphony. PHP is compatible with wide range of
web servers including Apache and can interface with
databases such as MySQL, Oracle. PHP files are normally
stored with .PHP suffix.
Typically, dynamic content is generated on the server
before being delivered to the client’s web browser
allowing for dynamic content development based on users
input or database queries.
b) Java
Java is a general-purpose object - oriented programming
language with the large number of implementation
requirements. It is an object - oriented programming
language with as minimal implementation dependencies as
feasible. It is commonly used to create a wide range of
applications functional on desktops, mobiles and online. It
was created in the mid-1990s by James Gosling and his
International Journal of Innovative Research in Computer Science & Technology (IJIRCST)
Innovative Research Publication 29
colleagues at Sun Microsystems and is now owned by
Oracle Corporation. Java is well known for its “write once
run anywhere” principle with states that Java code may be
written on one platform and run on any other platform that
supports java virtual machine (JVM). The JVM is an
essential component of java since it allows java
applications to run on any platform. Java is also well
known for its powerful memory management, security
features and extensive API library making it a popular
choice for developing robust and scalable applications.
III. GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI)
TECHNOLOGIES
A. Conversational Artificial Intelligence
a) Digital Assistants
“SIRI” if the most well - known iPhone application, while
“Google Voice assistant” is the most well - known Android
software application and Alexa is the most well - known
Amazon product. These programs, all have one thing in
Common: they are speech - based assistants that respond
to voice instructions. Voice based assistants have become
the featured alternative for completing monotonous course
as speech to text technologies and gadget processing
capacity have advanced. When a result, when individuals
began utilising voice assistants to search the Internet there
has been a rise in speech - based searches. This has had an
influence on the usual method of looking for the text in the
browser search engine, which in turn has an impact on the
search results provided by search engines. The content
individuals obtained changes as search engine processing
involves.
This modification has an impact on the digital marketing
tactics used by the websites to generate traffic and promote
their business and increase the productivity. Many people
feel that the rise of voice - based search will benefit digital
marketing
b) Impact of Voice assistants on marketing
Let us take a look at how speech technology is being used
in marketing:
A new firm has already gained a footing in the voice
industry by providing customers with interesting,
interactive experiences (Business2Community)
According to Capgemini, 24% of Internet users would
rather contact with a firm via personal assistant then
through its website.
According to bright edge, just 3.1% of marketers included
voice search into their content marketing strategy in 2017.
According to Digi day 43% of companies have already
invested in speech technology for marketing purposes.
The potential for voice technology in marketing look to be
quite bright!
Companies are utilising digital assistants for internal
functions:
Salesforce, a cloud software giant has entered the digital
assistant discussion with the launch of Einstein voice, an
expansion of its Einstein AI platform. Sales managers may
use this technology to handle cloud services and narrate
notes without touching the screen or inputting anything.
Einstein voice may also be combined with comparable
technology to send team pipeline updates, calendar
appointments and other essential priorities to the team in a
more effective manner. Einstein voice bots, another
fascinating offering enabling clients to create their own
voice activated assistant and branded, engaging the end
user on any smart speaker [4].
c) Incorporating voice-activated technology
into marketing can be challenging
Including speech technology in the user’s marketing
approach needs significant thought and planning. The user
should consider if the user’s target audience is likely to
interact with the user’s brand using speech technology and
whether the user’s content can provide value through this
platform. Before investing into technology, user should
evaluate the odds of success [8]. If user is still unclear
about any of these considerations it could be preferable to
wait and see how other companies are utilising voice
technology before making a decision. Investigating how
user’s rivals use voice technologies might also give useful
information [7].
B. Google Maps Marketing
Integrating Google Maps into user’s website can provide
the user’s business with increased visibility and
accessibility to potential customers who use the service to
find local businesses for it allows customers to easily find
directions, location information and learn about the
services the business provides. Google Maps integration
can improve user experience by helping visitors find
information quickly and easily, especially for mobile
users. It can also provide valuable data on customer
behaviour, engagement levels and store visits, allowing
businesses to make informed marketing decisions. In
today's world, integrating Google Maps into the user’s
website is essential for business that wants to remain
competitive and succeed in their respective industries
Google Maps has the potential to direct more traffic to the
user’s website which is a desirable outcome for any
business. Moreover, it can amplify the impact of customer
reviews, functioning as a digital form of word-of-mouth
marketing that can reach a wider audience. Optimising
Google Maps for voice search can be a wise move as it
enables potential customers to find the business easily by
simply asking Google instead of typing in a search query
[11].
Creating a Google business profile can significantly
improve user’s local search engine rankings, increase lead
generation and attract potential customers. With this
profile user’s business will be visible on all Google
products and services including search, maps and
YouTube. By optimising the profile with photos detailed
descriptions of the products, services, customer reviews,
contact details and operating hours user can showcase their
unique offerings and stand out from their competitors.
Moreover, tracking metrics such as impressions, clicks and
views can help them better understand their online
presence and make informed decisions to improve their
marketing strategy and product offerings.
C. Conversational marketing with chatbots
Many business owners are apprehensive about utilising
chatbots to improve their operations. It might be
uncomfortable to rely on robots to complete duties that
were previously performed by humans; chatbots on the
other hand are not intended to replace humans rather they
International Journal of Innovative Research in Computer Science & Technology (IJIRCST)
Innovative Research Publication 30
are intended to simplify the human work. User can
revolutionise their company's digital marketing techniques
by adopting chatbots. These AI solutions are designed to
respond to incoming communications in real time former
giving standard or customised answers and even
responding to new information through machine learning.
They can be sent via a variety of sources including
websites, SMS and social media platforms such as Twitter
and Facebook. Although chatbots have only recently
acquired mainstream appeal their uses are fast developing.
Chatbots may help user’s sell things by engaging visitors
and generating sales [3].
If the user is still unsure about incorporating them into
their marketing strategy, here are some tips to consider
when adding them into their marketing approach:
Communicate with website visitors in a conversational
tone to address frequently requested questions.
Qualify leads by asking questions in the chatbot to
establish a customer's position in the sales funnel.
Organise the team to manage its marketing program
through continual communication by utilising
chatbots.
Conduct research using chatbots which can give
important information about the target population.
Personalise the user experience by asking a series of
questions or using already collected data from the past
encounters [5].
IV. ADAPTIVE WEB DESIGN
A. Adoption of device-independent web design
The shift from desktop computers to mobile devices like
smartphones and ablets has been a growing trend and with
the introduction of more devices this trend is likely to
continue. This means that web developers need to make
sure that their websites are adaptable to different devices
and not just limited to one. Additionally, since many of
these devices rely on wireless connections, website
performance is crucial to provide users with the seamless
experience.
Responsive web design is a technique that allows web
developers to design and develop web pages that can adjust
to different devices using flexible grid layouts, images,
media and media queries. By incorporating performance
techniques along with responsive web design, websites can
improve their loading speed and overall user experience.
These factors together can have a significant impact on
website’s success.
B. Upsides of responsive web design:
Responsive web design has numerous benefits. One of the
main advantages is that it is content - focused and allows
web pages to be independent of any device. This approach
is cost effective and easier to maintain in the long run,
providing a better and more consistent user experience.
Compared to fixed web pages, responsive web designs use
single URL and the same HTML, making it simpler to
change the content. Sharing the web pages URL on social
networks is also more user friendly since the link takes
users to the right version of the page, regardless of the
device they use. Responsive web design maintains
flexibility and enhances the user experience, insuring
consistency across different devices. With increasing
number of devices and platforms for web browsing,
adopting responsive web design can attract more loyal
customers, improve the company's market share.
Additionally, Google recommends using responsive web
design as a best practice for the industry.
C. Constraints of responsive web design
Responsive web design comes with some limitations that
should be taken into account. One of the main
disadvantages is that creating a responsive website
requires more time and resources, making it up to 10 to
20% more expensive than a regular website. In addition,
older web browsers in mobile devices may not support the
latest HTML and CSS techniques used in responsive
design, which may cause compatibility issues. Another
issue is that responsive design can make it harder to place
advertisements on the web page, which can be a problem
for websites relying mostly on advertising revenue.
However, despite these limitations, the benefits of
responsive web design still make it a valuable investment
for most organisations. Responsive design provides
improved results in long term savings and the minimalistic
design can enhance the user experience by making the
website more accessible on call devices. While there are
some unsolvable problems with the responsive design such
as responsive images there have been attempts to find
solutions and establish web standards through
organizations. Overall, responsive web design is necessary
adaptation for the modern web and its benefits outweigh
the challenges [12].
V. SEO AND ONLINE CUSTOMER
BEHAVIOUR
A. Effects of Voice Search on SEO Strategies
Some industry insiders believe that the advent of voice -
based search may spell the end of SEO as we know it. The
influence of voice - based search and digital marketing in
strategies is apparent weather favourable on negative. One
reason for its shift in approaches is that the voice in tech
searches is fundamentally different. Conversational
languages used in voice searches is essential. Because
conversational language is the foundation of voice – based,
search material must be more natural sounding and answer
inquiries quickly and accurately in order to rank for highly
snippets [9]. It is critical to provide useful and authoritative
content that Google picks to achieve this coveted place.
Simply repeating terms without context is no longer
sufficient. If the content is well created, it may be used to
market a company [6].
B. Leveraging Google Maps to enhance Local
SEO
If user wants to increase their local SEO, Google Maps
could be a game changer Google Maps may help them
enhance their exposure in search engine results by offering
accurate information about the user’s business such as its
location, contact information and directions. User can
improve their local SEO and bring more visitors to the
business by using Google Maps [13]. They can help the
user increase their visibility in search engine results by
integrating maps into their website and optimising their
listings to attract more customers. Using these tactics, user
can boost their local SEO and drive more traffic to the
International Journal of Innovative Research in Computer Science & Technology (IJIRCST)
Innovative Research Publication 31
business. Integration of Google Maps into the website can
benefit SEO by providing higher quality localised content
and detailed directions which can lead to increased organic
traffic.
Optimising Google Maps listing helps improve local SEO
leading to a better search ranking for the website and
optimised Google Maps listing can create a strong social
media presence for foster relationships with potential
customers [10].
VI. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, website usability plays a crucial role in
digital marketing. A website that is easy to use, navigable,
and provides a good user experience is more likely to
attract and retain visitors. This can lead to increased
engagement, improved conversion rates, and ultimately,
higher revenue for businesses. Additionally, usability can
also contribute to search engine optimization (SEO)
efforts, as search engines like Google prioritize websites
that are user-friendly and provide a positive experience for
their users. Therefore, businesses should prioritize
usability when designing and optimizing their websites to
ensure they provide the best possible experience for their
users and to achieve their marketing goals.
VII. FUTURE SCOPE
Looking to the future, the importance of website usability
in digital marketing is likely to continue to grow. With the
increasing use of mobile devices and the shift towards
voice search, businesses will need to focus even more on
creating websites that are optimized for these platforms. In
the future, it will be important for businesses to ensure that
their websites are optimized for all devices and provide a
user experience that is consistent and smooth across
different platforms.
Additionally, advances in technology such as virtual and
augmented reality may also impact website usability in the
future. Websites that incorporate these technologies will
need to ensure they are intuitive and easy to use to provide
a positive user experience.
Finally, as the digital landscape continues to evolve,
businesses will need to stay up-to-date with the latest
trends and technologies to remain competitive. This will
require ongoing testing and optimization of website
usability to ensure it continues to meet the needs and
expectations of users.
Overall, the future scope for the importance of website
usability in digital marketing is vast, and businesses that
prioritize usability will be better positioned to succeed in
the digital world.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
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