User experience is becoming an increasingly popular feature of the digital landscape, but not all marketers have a clear view of what it is. Just what is this monster user experience?
User Experience (UX) refers to how a person feels when interfacing with a system. It involves a person’s behaviors, attitudes, and emotions about using a particular product.
An in-depth look at user experience
UX design includes every aspect of a website, from site navigation to individual page layout. It’s calculated to create an optimal interaction between your business and your potential customers. It’s informed by an analysis of current user behaviours. A Good UX design is seamless, smooth, and is achieved through the attention to the finest details as well as the big picture.
User experience can be a huge component of your brand. It contributes to a consumer’s overall impression of your business. Simply put, UX is the pleasure of a gourmet meal in a fine restaurant and the attentive service you get from your waiter.
Good design creates good user experiences. UX-focused design takes into account issues of cognitive psychology, anthropology and sociology, as well as principles of graphic and content design.
Bad design sends them bouncing away in search of something more reliable. In fact, the design of your website impacts every single moment a user spends on a page. It can be the difference between a great user experience and a lousy one. Ultimately, it can drive or lose conversions.
Regardless of size, complexity or type of a digital product, UX is still key.
In terms of design, user experience is just as important as visual identity. It doesn’t matter what your site or app looks like if people don’t know how to interact with it. While UX is important for any digital product, it is even more important for certain types of digital products such as complex sites or applications.
UX is key for complex sites because users must be able to easily navigate the site and understand how to use it. Neglecting UX can result in a sloppy site that people will not come back to. Developing an interaction-rich experience will drive users back to a site.
One of the most complex types of sites can be those that include e-commerce sites. Not only does the site have to be well-organized, it also has to have clear and easy to use signals for how to make a secure purchase. This is also true of sites that are expected to be around for extended periods of time, such as retail sites. Consider Jumia.co.ke for example, it has worked using the same basic UX for years.
User experience is key for small and start-up businesses as well because the site is their first impression to users. This debut matters when it comes to directing future traffic and business to your product.
This same concept applies to companies with small budgets. User experience is important because it can create the momentum that propels the business forward. Remember, users decide in just a few seconds whether your site or app is worth their time. That’s the only opportunity you get to reel someone in.
Zero input on UX to the design and development process, leads to decreased productivity, decreased sales, increased training and support costs, more maintenance costs and poor customer satisfaction.
Ultimately Without an effective UX, digital products are likely to fail. It’s really is that simple.
