Creating optimal user experiences Better user experience increases customer satisfaction
Anyone who deals with the development of digital products sooner or later comes across the term usability. This is not just about appealing aesthetics, but rather about the function of the application.
Companies on the topic
Combining a good user experience with a uniform and intuitive design increases user satisfaction.
(Picture: Custom Interactions GmbH)
In this day and age, developing a user-friendly product means really understanding the needs of the target audience and how customers solve the problem so far. User experience-UX for short-and usability are important indicators for a successful digital presence. Because the clearer and more user-friendly the application, the better the UX.
Meanwhile, the words usability and user experience are among the buzzwords of the IT industry. The former describes the extent to which a product can be used efficiently, effectively and satisfactorily by a specific user for a specific purpose in a specific environment.
Good usability therefore means that the user easily and quickly achieves his goals with the product. In practice, however, this definition is often not so easy to transfer, after all, there is not only a user, a task and an environment.
The focus is on the customers
In order to achieve good usability, those responsible should collect as much information as possible about potential users before development. After all, the better the product supports the main tasks of its users, the higher the serviceability of the application turns out to be.
In addition, there are various methods such as testing and expert evaluations. These help to make the appropriateness of the task visible. Once this factor has been measured and achieved as part of usability, it goes to the question of user experience.
The UX is defined by the perceptions of a person arising from the use or expected use of a product or application. It includes the emotions of the user, the psychological and physiological reactions, the expectations and the behavior. We product designers understand them as a consequence, which is influenced by the design, functionality and performance characteristics.
In addition, previous knowledge and characteristics of the respective user, brand perception or the context of use also play an important role. So it turns out that the user experience includes a very broad context, which is already much harder to measure according to the definition than it seems with usability.
There are many different methods of measurement and the effort – depending on the product and method – can vary greatly and range from very little to huge. However, this effort is worthwhile in any case, since only such an optimal product can be created.
Change in expectations makes focus on UX necessary
Meanwhile, computers, mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs are firmly part of everyday life-everyone comes into contact with them daily. However, the operation of most devices has changed completely in the last ten years and such products have contributed to the leaps and bounds of technology due to their simplicity.
Today, almost any person can receive any information quickly and easily. Users usually no longer spend time searching for information but Google it quickly – and they are satisfied with the first hit. But this development has also changed the expectations of users.
Thus, the tolerance for poor or complicated products decreased significantly in recent years. Users do not give products second chances today. And not only that: dissatisfied customers also discourage other potential users from trying novelties by often sharing their bad experiences via social media.
Companion to a successful product history
Good reviews or recommendations mean that customers buy applications more often and are more willing to test innovations. If these are then also characterized by an attractive usability and in the best case even fun, then developers win a new buyer, who may also recommend the product to others.
Satisfied customers are also less likely to reorient themselves and have higher product and brand loyalty. This reduces the effort for acquiring new customers and at the same time saves a company money. Optimized usability also leads to fewer support requests, bug fixes and updates. As a result, companies also reduce long-term running costs.
Last but not least, good usability and user experience ensure that you do not lose touch with the competition. Especially in recent years, the development of user-friendly and simple solutions can also be seen in the B2B sector. This is related to the changed user base of the products.
Young users in particular do not understand why they can easily operate their personal applications at home, but should still work at work as they did 15 years ago. This requires new solutions that make it possible to present complex content easily. So it turns out that usability and user experience act as companions and trailblazers of a successful product history.
Greater user-friendliness in combination with the uniform and intuitive design increases user satisfaction. This is further driven by reducing errors and increasing quality. Due to the uniform design to the outside, a higher customer loyalty is the result of investments in the UX. Because one thing is irrefutable: A product or an application must be there for the user in the best possible way.
Dr. Benjamin Franz (Picture: Custom Interactions GmbH)
* Dr. Benjamin Franz studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Darmstadt, specializing in human-machine interaction. Together with his wife, he founded Custom Interactions GmbH in 2012 while still pursuing his doctorate. Among other things, Franz participated in the development of various complex products, such as a pilot information system that is used in every Lufthansa cockpit worldwide. Franz is also a keynote speaker and holds lectures in mechanical engineering at the TU Darmstadt together with his wife. In addition, he acts in DIN committees that actively deal with the standardization and further development of user-centered development processes. In addition, he is an honorary member of the Committee for Industry, Research and Innovation of the IHK Darmstadt.
About Custom Interactions GmbH
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