Probably you have heard terms like UX design and user experience many times before, but do you know what that means and how important it is for your business?
In this article, we will talk about what UX is, why it is so essential, and some tips to perfect it.
What is UX?
UX is short for user experience; as we can imagine, it embraces the whole process of thinking and designing how you can provide the user with the best experience possible.
UX design is creating products that will provide a relevant and valuable experience to the user. Design, branding, usability, accessibility, and functionality are some aspects that are involved in this process.
More straightforwardly, UX is how the user feels about the product. Is the website accessible? Did you create a functional mobile app? Is the interaction between humans and technology fluent?
Why is UX important?
UX is essential because it can mean loyalty from the user to your business.
The main objective of UX design is to fulfill the users' needs most effectively, providing them a positive experience that can probably be repeated when the user needs the same product or service again.
This is nothing new but something that has always been important. It is not created just on internet times. If you go to a barbershop where they treat you warmly, give you a drink while you are waiting, and do an excellent job with your hair, you will probably return when you need a cut again.
With websites and mobile apps, it happens the same process. We all tried to use a slow and confusing webpage and know what a nightmare that can be. If there is any competitor that provides the same service, but with a better UX design, we will probably choose them next time over the initial option.
A good UX is also a benefit for the brand itself. UX helps create a more fluent relationship between the client and the seller, in which the buying process is much more automatic and does not require extra explanation. Also, investing in a good UX design improves ROI (return on investment).
What makes a great user experience?
There doesn't exist a magic formula for a great UX, and the reason is simple: each user is different and needs different things.
When working on UX design, it is crucial to understand that you do not have to create what is more comfortable or practical for you, but what will be more comfortable or useful for the person who will use it. If you are making an app for older people, you will probably need to use a big enough font, much bigger than what you can read.
The most effective method of creating a great user experience is getting closer to your users. Talk to them, analyze how they use your creations, what they like, what they don't like, which things they are using, and which are not being used…
It can be tricky, and also impossible on bigger scales, to research what every user thinks of the product. Still, you can create analysis segments of users that share similar characteristics.
Creating a good UX is a simple job that is changeable and subject to many factors.
Tips for developing a great UX
As we mentioned before, there is not a secret formula for great UX, but there are some tips that you can follow to achieve it. On this list, you will see steps you can follow while creating an internet product without forgetting the user experience.
- Knowing the user: first thing first. For creating a successful user experience, you need to know your user. For this, you are going to create a "user persona," which represents your target audience, so you can imagine what the typical person who will use your product likes or dislikes.
- Actual interviews: if you have the possibility of having discussions with real users, do it. As we mentioned before, UX changes in every person, so having the opportunity to talk with users that can give you some feedback will help you to have a new point of view on the UX of your product.
- Functionality map: when building a web page or a mobile app, creating a functionality map will let you find those bottlenecks that can give the user a slower and worse experience. Interaction between pages must be straightforward and with the most miniature scales possible.
- Good wireframes: the wireframes of a webpage are the cake mold. Take some time creating good wireframes if you want to avoid usability issues.
- Prototypes: prototypes can be the key to success. Creating a mockup to try before launching the final problem can save you headaches and some money. Once you have finished your product, use it as a prototype and ask as many people as possible to try it. You will be struggling with actual UX, but with people you know and who can give you constructive advice.
Final thoughts
Creating a good UX is not easy at all and is one of the main objectives of every company. Understanding what our clients want can be very difficult but essential.
With this article, you now know what and how important UX is so that you can pay some attention to it for your business.
