Over the last few years, UX has catapulted its way into the strategy conversations of large and small companies, forever changing the way they do business. “Good design, when it’s done well, become invisible,” says Jared Spool, founder of User Interface Engineering. This fact alone should be enough to convince businesses to invest in UX, yet many still need further persuading.
But, the time for second-guessing passed a long time ago. “No company can become or remain a leader if it doesn’t prioritize and put money behind creating a user experience that meets its customers’ needs, and more importantly, customer expectations.” says Forbes Contributor Karen Clark Cole. Investing in UX isn’t an option for businesses anymore (at least the one’s that want to succeed), it’s a requirement. To help explain the WHY behind the importance of UX, we asked our very own Director of User Experience Christina Goldschmidt, to help break it down further.
How does UX identify pressure points?
“A site that is frictionless for the end user creates trust,” Goldschmidt explains. In other words, a site needs to be frictionless in the sense that the design meets the needs of the user in every way possible, leaving no room for error; something that can only be achieved through UX. Businesses that choose to invest in UX will be able to identify areas of weakness and improve them, leaving users satisfied with their experience from start to finish.
In what ways does UX save businesses money?
“You’ll capture more dollars, increase order sizes and transactions, and get more out of your staff. Quality UX equates to shareholder value and business value,” says Goldschmidt. The market rewards a company that values user experience. By optimizing that experience through research-generated insights, human-centered design, and results-driven strategies, the entire business will improve (and save money in the process). It’s a win-win scenario for businesses that want to improve customer satisfaction and increase revenue.
How does UX keep consumers loyal? And does it entice new ones?
“When faced with a poor user experience, consumers get angry, and it actually erodes positive brand impression,” says Goldschmidt. “It’s similar to feeling like a loved one let you down.” Consumers expect and demand an exceptional experience online, and they’re becoming increasingly intolerant of bad ones. Prioritizing what your consumers find important through UX-led-research will keep your consumers happy and make them more willing to tell others about their positive experience. “You still have to sell the value of UX to people,” says Goldschmidt. “But good UX reinforces and reinvigorates the brand [and business] for users.”
Clearly UX pinpoints and secures faults in a site, keeps consumers loyal and captures new ones (all while saving money), but for businesses that make the full investment, it actually does much more. UX deepens brand loyalty internally and externally, and strengthens the morale of a business. UX drives trust and showcases a businesses dedication to customer satisfaction. UX is the deciding factor between a good company, and an exceptional company.
UX achieves goals.
