10 reasons for UX design: what it really brings

Everyone is talking about UX design. But what is it actually about? We want to shed some light on this with our article. What it’s really about and why user experience design is important.

Simply explained: What is UX design?

User experience design is about the user experience when interacting with a service or product. Imagine you have an online store. A visitor to your store wants to buy clothes. The user experience of this visitor starts with a simple Google search. On your website, she uses the website search to look for her desired product. She gets search results. She selects a product, visits the detail page and places the product in the shopping cart. She then pays and receives her order the next day. Perhaps the garment doesn’t fit and she wants to return it. So she goes back to your website to initiate the return.

This customer journey can be replaced by any other. Here are a few examples:

• Making a contact request via the website
• Making a download on a website
• Booking an appointment
• Getting information on a website

I think you understand what we are talking about. The list goes on and on. So if you want to apply UX design, it makes sense to take a “user-centered” view.

• What need or problem does a potential customer have?
• How does my offer or solution enable a positive user experience?
• UX superpower bonus 💪: How can my solution be more user-friendly and innovative than known solutions (from the competition)?

UX works optimally in combination with topics such as SEO (search engine optimization): How well will your content be found? The loading time of websites, for example, also plays an important role here.

1. Long-term satisfied users and customers

Users and customers are usually very impatient (you can read more about this in this interesting article“Is Navigation Useful” by Jakob Nielsen). Just think about yourself. Perhaps you have already come to a website and left it again straight away. We are talking about the so-called bounce rate. In other words, all those users who leave immediately after loading a page. Incidentally, this is also a value that is worth keeping an eye on. If you use Google Analytics or other tracking solutions, you can query this value there. A high bounce rate can be an indicator of a poor user experience.

Have you ever heard of personas?

These are exemplary characters of users and customers. Personas are an excellent way of identifying actual problems and requirements. So that they can then be specifically addressed.

The good news: satisfied customers like to come back. Once we have had a good experience, we like to stick with it. People don’t like to deal with poorly functioning websites. Your company can therefore benefit from the use of user experience design in the long term.

2. Increase traffic, conversions and sales

It makes sense: if users can use your website simply and easily and if their needs are met, then you will also be able to sell your products and services more successfully.

“Your company can’t get what it wants unless your customers and users get something they want.”

This quote comes from Jeff Patton (the inventor of user story mapping) and translates as follows: A company only gets what it wants when customers and users get what they want.

3. Better visibility in search engines

How can a search engine like Google or Bing be successful today? By delivering the best search results with the greatest added value from the user’s point of view. If my need for the right search result is not met, then I will probably switch to another search engine. Modern search engine algorithms recognize whether your website offers a good user experience or not.

In addition to well-known criteria for search engine optimization(SEO), user experience design also plays an important role here.

4. Winning new customers

We have already talked about personas. Here you outline exemplary representatives of your target group and their needs. Perhaps you have not yet considered potential customer groups. Creating personas can help you to tap into new customer groups. Once you have identified them, it will be much easier for you to offer suitable solutions and user experiences.

And that’s not all: topics such as user-friendliness and accessibility are also taken into account. Can people with visual impairments also consume your content? Is the contrast, font and font size optimally suited? This consideration does not only help people with a disability. In most cases, all people benefit from improvements in this area.

5. Fewer support requests thanks to intuitive operation

If you receive frequent and perhaps even repetitive (support) requests on certain topics, this is another indicator of a poor user experience. This information is very valuable and should definitely be incorporated into the optimization of the UX. The term “low-hanging fruit” is also often used. This means that a lot can be achieved with little effort using an obvious and easy-to-implement solution.

Intuition is at the top of the list. How do you enable users of websites, vending machines, apps and mobile devices to complete their requirements without further explanation? If you have already experienced that the use of your website or the functions of an app require additional explanation, then you should definitely think about improving them.

6. Simple and successful products

People are looking for simple, straightforward and quick solutions to their needs. As entrepreneurs, we often tend to make websites, functions and products too complicated. We often believe that a product or website can only be successful if we pack in as many functions as possible. This can result in enormous sums of money being spent on implementation that may not even be needed. In the worst case scenario, this can even be the reason why users or customers do not use your product or service.

UX design helps to keep the focus

What is it really about? What do customers and users want? A professional UX designer will therefore always tend to give preference to the gradual expansion and adaptation of functions. UX can therefore also be optimally integrated into agile project management.

7. Save money and increase efficiency: test first, then implement

Here we follow on seamlessly from the previous point. It is often not clear whether a function or innovation will actually lead to the desired success. You are taking a certain risk – especially with experimental ideas. Both financially and organizationally.

There are some useful methods that are very helpful here. In particular, new functions can be tested (before implementation) using rapid prototyping. Ideas and functions can be brought to life with the help of an interactive click dummy. A click dummy is nothing more than a simple replica of a function or app in the form of clickable images. However, users usually do not recognize the difference to a solution that has already been programmed and implemented.

The advantage of rapid prototyping

Such a click dummy can usually be implemented very quickly. Through user testing and interviews – with the help of the click dummy – you can obtain valuable feedback from users. You then have a sound basis for deciding whether and how you want to implement a new function, website or app.

Find out more about other UX methods

8. UX enables innovation

Successful UX designers are good listeners. It’s not about implementing your own ideas and beliefs as a UX expert. A good UX designer will take a very close look at user needs, company goals and existing data (website statistics, feedback, ratings, etc.).

The knowledge, ideas and experience of your employees often remain unused. Yet there is enormous potential here for innovative and new products that promise long-term and sustainable success. These ideas can be brought to light in workshops.

9. Increase the value of your brand

Customers associate both positive and negative user experiences with brands. If you actively work to improve the user experience of your website or app, the value of your brand will also increase.

The good news: UX is on everyone’s lips, but there’s a good chance that your competitors are not yet using user experience design!

10. UX design doesn’t cost a fortune

UX designers are an integral part of large companies and agile teams. Professional UX designers are in high demand and are also well paid because of the enormous potential for products and companies.

You can also apply one or two UX methods yourself. Or, for example, hire a UX designer as part of a website relaunch.

With modern tools such as the UX Check Guru, professional UX designers personally check your existing website for UX problems. Problems on your website are identified and specific suggestions for improvement are made. A UX check is available from as little as € 590 (excl. VAT).

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)