Today we’re mainly going to focus on the basic digital aspects surrounding UX but to lay it out for you in the simplest possible way, we’ve pit a banana against a pineapple to demonstrate good UX vs not so good UX in the video above.
‘Content is King’ has been a tune the advertising, digital and content marketing industry has been singing for years. It’s like one of those songs that you’ve played too many times on repeat that starts to lose its meaning. The statement alone places content on a pedestal that may create some misunderstanding.
When good content is accompanied by good UX (User Experience Design) and solid distribution strategy it becomes a totality. Then, and only then does everything come together holistically to form something bright and shiny that interests your prospects.
What is UX design exactly?Â
Even within the UX community itself, the definition seems a little wishy-washy. It’s something that in its purest form can be applied to anything. Your car, Ikea flat-pack furniture, your phone, this website, or even your favourite fruit.
You need to realise that your customers are not just buyers anymore. These days they immerse themselves in your brand; its form, its feel and all it represents outside of the narrow definition of a product or service you offer, and this is where UX is supposed to take them by the hand and show them a good time.
UX envelops every aspect of a user’s interaction. The elements that come together to make up that interface, including the layout, visual design, navigation, feedback outputs, text, brand, sound and interactions.
It’s an umbrella term that amalgamates 5 core disciplines and it’s objective is to have these combined seamlessly and well balanced.
- Research
- Usability
- Information Architecture
- Interaction design
- Visual design
Why is digital UX so important? Â
Do you remember the last interaction you had with a digital product that wasn’t what you expected or it made you feel frustrated, confused or even a bit peeved off? These are definitely not emotions you want people experiencing while they’re engaging your brand.
The 4 key areas of good UX that will effectively help you reach your business goals are–
- Keep customers coming back
Look at your competitors’ websites and digital publications. If your UX is ok and theirs is fantastic, who do you think your prospects are going to go back to?  In the simplest terms possible, if your users have a bad experience or even just an average experience they won’t be back. So not only have you potentially lost a sale, you’ve potentially lost the kind of great customer that spreads the word about your brand.
- Turn browsers into buyers
Injecting time and money into your digital presence is essential for your brand and at the end of the day it’s all about ROI (return on investment). You want to be able to generate measurable value for your brand and there is nothing more frustrating and soul-destroying than the feeling of letting fists full of dollars fly into the wind.
This end goal value is in dollar terms but it starts with conversion rates. For example, because your user experience is good –
- As already mentioned customers are loyal and frequently return to buy your products services.
- Customers find it easy to use or buy your products and services.
- You have a strong ability to convert browsers into buyers and increase your conversion rates.
- Turn their online experience into a well-oiled machine Â
Most of us are time-poor these days. If you think about the way you use digital platforms, they don’t read like books and its very much an in – find what you need, and out affair. A great user experience design improves efficiency by enabling users to do things faster and by helping them make fewer mistakes in the process.
A great example is an eCommerce website, the faster and easier it is to buy a product, the more likely it is that customers will buy more than one product and keep coming back.
- Make the customer happy
Good UX is a great starting point for good CX (Customer Experience). Emotions are a key driver in what shapes us as humans and they play the primary role in our decision making. If we deliver a positive experience surpassing customer expectations, you’re we’re likely to start to build an authentic relationship.
The interesting thing about UX is that when it’s working really well much of this type of experience is being processed by the subconscious mind. This type of reaction is difficult to measure and becomes more apparent through things like facial expressions, vocal intonations, body language and word choice.
