Hanging out with other superfans in a community shouldn't feel like a puzzle to be solved. When you build an online community, your priority is to make it as easy as possible for members to join, interact and spend time doing the things that keep them coming back.

That's why UX is so important.

Read on to learn three key tips for improving your server's UX, or watch this handy video guide to the basics of UX, with actionable tips (just one of the easy-to-follow guides now available on Leveller's YouTube channel).

Discord UX: The basics

UX stands for user experience, which refers to how pleasant and easy it is for someone to navigate a product or service - in this case, a Discord server.

Good UX isn't just about how everything looks; it’s about functionality. Can users quickly find what they need? How painless is it for different people to do different things? Is the experience intuitive and frustration-free?

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have their own pre-designed UX, which you can't control. Discord, meanwhile, is a blank canvas. You decide how it works - what’s included, where things go, what members do when they join up and how they use it.

This means server owners have to put in more thought and work to set up a server. But that investment of time and planning plays off, because you get to create the perfect environment for your community to grow and thrive.

For Discord servers, painless UX is the backbone of a successful community.

What to do and what to avoid

Joining other Discord servers gives you an idea of how different they can be. Let's examine two examples: the Minecraft and Helldivers servers.

The Minecraft server, while a long-established home to a thriving community, can feel overwhelming for new users. That's a UX issue. The channels and naming conventions are chaotic, and the onboarding process could do so much more. For example, every announcement channel appears in every language, which clutters the experience for users who only need their own language. The experience is complicated and frustrating, which can drive members away.

On the other hand, the Helldivers server exemplifies excellent UX. It uses a clear channel naming convention, has a strong onboarding process, and it's threaded through with the game's lore. The server feels like an extension of the game itself, immersing users in its world and fostering a sense of belonging. This is what great UX looks like - inviting, intuitive and clearly linked to the community's purpose.

How to improve your Discord server’s UX

You can customise your server's UX at any time, so you can constantly iterate and improve even when your community is up and running. Here are three actionable tips to elevate your server UX right now:

Clear naming

Make it easy for members to understand the different sections of the server. If users can’t understand where to go or what a channel is for, they won’t engage. To make it easy to navigate your server, organise channels logically, and label them clearly with an easily understandable naming convention.

For example, if your community loves sharing user-generated content like screenshots or fan art, group these channels under a category with a name like 'Community Creations'. This ensures users immediately know where to find the content they care about.

Streamline onboarding

First impressions matter. When a new user joins your server, the onboarding process should clearly explain the server's purpose, highlight key channels and guide them to content they'll enjoy most. A great onboarding experience also lets you tailor the experience to each specific member and their interests, by asking them questions and allocating roles based on their preferences so they see relevant content.

So instead of showing announcements in every language, you can ask new users to choose their preferred language during onboarding. This simple change reduces clutter and makes the experience more personal, encouraging them to stick around in the first week (which is crucial for retention).

Use roles for a customised experience

Roles are essential for tailoring your server's UX. Use them to control channel visibility and customise notifications. For example, your community might include a mix of cozy gamers, social gamers, and competitive gamers, who all want to do different things:

• Cozy gamers: Create spaces for sharing screenshots, fan art, or stories. Forum channels are particularly useful here, as they allow content to be displayed in a gallery format rather than getting lost in chat threads.
• Social gamers: Provide 'Looking for Group' (LFG) channels and accessible voice chats to help them connect with others.
• Competitive gamers: Offer channels discussing esports tournaments and game strategies, and consider adding features like XP and leveling systems to keep them engaged.

By catering to the subgroups you see in your community, you create a bespoke experience for each member that keeps everyone invested.

Assess and optimise your UX

Ready to level up your server’s UX? Start by reviewing your layout, channel organisation, onboarding process, and role settings. Look for ways to simplify, clarify and enhance the experience for your users.

Do you have a sidebar full of channels that aren't relevant to individual users? Tidy up, rename and delete. Is your landing page and onboarding process failing to capture a snapshot of each new member? Fine tune your questions so you can customise their experience.

Do you offer roles that give different opportunities to different members? Build out your available roles based on what players want to do, and automate the process of allocating roles.

At Levellr, we work with a range of clients in multiple verticals and industries, from gaming to music and beyond, helping you drive tangible marketing ROI and monetisation value through meaningful emotional connection with fans.

For more on the simple but powerful tools that help you achieve all this, subscribe to Levellr on YouTube and see more step-by-step video guides to our key features and functionalities.

Don’t let poor UX hold you back. Contact Levellr today to create a space where people love to hang out.