It’s no secret that a nice looking website can’t mask a crappy user experience (UX), or that a crappy user experience can be extremely costly to your brand, so this is one of our top priorities for every client.
If you’re wondering “What the hell is UX?”, that’s fine. Luckily, our digital team is here to break down exactly what the term “user experience” means to us and our clients, and why this matters.
UX DEFINED
According to the Interaction Design Foundation, the definition of user experience (UX) design is, “the process of creating products that provide meaningful and relevant experiences to users. This involves the design of the entire process of acquiring and integrating the product, including aspects of branding, design, usability, and function.”
Oof. That’s a little overwhelming and broad. Let’s break it down.
UX is the culmination of their experience with you as a brand, with a particular emphasis on the digital space. This includes:
- The ease at which users can find you online
- The ease at which users can find a phone number or address to contact you
- The ease at which users can engage with your support teams to resolve a question or concern
- The ease at which users can find what they’re looking for on your website, or navigate to the content they want
- The ease at which users can engage with your content, from whatever device or browser they’re looking for
- The ease at which users can make a purchase, book a reservation, or request more information
You probably noticed a commonality with all of those examples – UX is about making it easy for your users to find what they’re looking for as quickly and painlessly as possible.
This goes beyond the “look and feel” of your website. It focuses on the users’ “why” and the way they’re engaging with their brand.
WHY UX MATTERS TO YOUR BRAND
Since UX is a culmination of a user’s experiences with your brand, it should be pretty obvious that you want this to be favorable.
If they can get their questions answered and find what they’re looking for quickly and painlessly, that will leave them with a favorable impression of your brand. On the other hand, if they are not able to find your phone number, can’t access a page on your site, can’t submit a form on a mobile device, or something isn’t working the way it’s supposed to, they’ll get frustrated and leave you for a competitor.
People move quickly online – don’t slow them down.
A WORK IN PROGRESS
UX is never “done”.
New social media profile layouts, evolving trends in website behavior, shifting browser capabilities and requirements, and other factors continue to change and it’s important that your digital presence follows suit. Our digital team is constantly collecting data on our clients’ digital presence, and adjusting strategies as needed.
Basically what we’re saying is that 8THIRTYFOUR is your UX BF for life.
Are you curious about how UX might apply to your digital strategy? Give us a call. We’d love to talk.
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