We hear about UX, or User Experience, more and more often in relation to creating websites and applications. Without it, it is impossible to create the perfect product, and it is also impossible to compete with the best in the industry and become the leading brand. The lack of UX design skills means that even the most technologically advanced company may lose the race for the leadership position. Therefore, more and more bold investments are being made in this area in order to offer customers products and services that fully meet their expectations. Why is adjusting the product to the needs so important? Why won’t UX ever disappear?
What exactly UX is?
UX is a term that refers to the overall experience a user has when using a given product or service, e.g., when browsing a website or using a mobile application. It consists of various elements, e.g. intuitive navigation, clear interface, appropriate content, attractive design. UX stands for user-oriented design, that is creating products that will take into account their needs, expectations and habits. UX is therefore a balanced combination of technology, functionality and psychology.
The first task UX specialists face is to talk to the client and determine what business goals the website or application is to serve. The key is to work with the client to figure out the needs of users and to identify any problems they may encounter when using the application. Then, it is necessary to develop an optimal solution and present it to the client.
The elements of the website that particularly affect the quality of UX are as follows:
- Clear interface and order – the user should quickly and easily find specific elements of the page, know what to click to achieve the goal. The website must not appear cluttered. The buttons should be easy to find and direct the user to the correct place. Order in navigation is also extremely important.
- Appropriate content and its arrangement – e.g. blocks of text and complex, convoluted content cause negative feelings. The content on a UX optimized website should be understandable, short and interesting.
- Fast operation and failure-free operation – it is about fast loading of the page and its elements, as well as the lack of errors, form failures, and temporary website unavailability. Nothing discourages a user like a site that doesn’t load or displays errors.
- Adaptation of the website to mobile devices – poorly designed website that is incorrectly displayed in the mobile version causes users to leave it and never return.
UX as a long-term investment
Recent events related to the pandemic have shown, among other things, the power and potential of the e-commerce market. The monthly increases in the value of online sales as well as the intensive development of UX are no longer surprising. Strengthening brand recognition and searching for new sources of revenue have become a necessity, which is why more and more companies have faced the challenge of creating unique solutions on their website or in the application that will position the brand and attract and retain customers.
Only a well-designed UX gives a company a chance to succeed among the products offered by the competition. The involvement of UX specialists can significantly increase the value of the product, and building a positive impression is an investment that can pay off very quickly. Although UX-related activities can be a time-consuming and quite costly endeavor at first, the effects are usually noticeable relatively quickly – this is manifested, for example, in the number of page views or application visits. The initial investment can therefore quickly translate into increasing company profits. Considering that all improvements are made to improve UX, the demand for UX will not disappear until users stop using websites and applications. UX is therefore an investment for many years.
What speaks for the further development of UX?
For many business owners, users’ satisfaction with the functioning of the website is synonymous with a good market position, which translates into customer loyalty to the brand, and thus profits. The market is becoming more and more competitive, especially in the area of e-commerce, which is why the number of companies using specialized UX services will continue to grow.
What are the other reasons?
- The need to attract new customers – the look and operation of the website, intuitive navigation, functionality – these UX elements make the website visitors spend more time on it. The likelihood that users satisfied with the appearance and operation of the website will become attached to the brand is greater when it meets their expectations. As website traffic and conversion rate increase, the number of so-called page rejections drops.
- Lower costs in the long run – in the long run, an investment in UX leads to lower costs. The number of recurring technical problems is falling, which generates considerable savings in the use of a website or application. The risk of creating the wrong product is also minimized. As a result, the company saves both money and time.
- Development of mobile applications – mobile applications are the future when it comes to technology development. New ones are created every day and this trend will surely not reverse anytime soon. Although so far, the UX of websites is a more popular area, more and more companies are also investing in UX at the stage of designing a mobile application.
As you may have noticed, UX is an important part of any project – the area from which you should start preparing for creating applications or websites. At Stepwise, we have qualified specialists who can help you navigate in the UX area – if you are interested, please contact us.