As a professional in the IT industry, you know the importance of a sound user experience (UX) strategy. Any credible IT consulting company would advise that improving user experience is crucial to the success of a brand. Undoubtedly, user experience plays a massive role in a brand’s identity and visibility online. It is no coincidence that companies are allocating more funds to creating great UX. It can be said that it is the fine line that separates acquiring new customers and losing existing and potential ones.
To further understand the effect of UX on a brand, and the need for a UX strategy, here are some of the stats collated by Truelist:
- Return on investment (ROI) on good UX is almost 10,000%.
- Good UX on websites can lead to conversions of up to 200%.
- A one-second delay or interruption in the user experience can decrease potential conversion rates by 7%.
- Key performance indicators (KPIs) increase by over 80% when customer UX is good.
- Nine out of ten (9/10) end users will not return to a website with bad UX.
- Seven in every ten (7/10) eCommerce websites fail due to bad UX.
- Bad UX on mobile devices is five times more likely to drive mobile users away from online activity.
The statistics above clearly show UX’s impact on a business. According to this Forbes article UX plays a vital role in laying the path to be taken by a company. It is steadily changing the way business is done for the better. This further solidifies the necessity of a UX strategy.
What Is a User Experience Strategy?
UX (user experience) strategy is strategic planning designed to improve a business’s user experience over time. The approach considers the end users' and consumers' needs along with the organization's objectives. An effective UX strategy’s end goal is to align a customer’s touchpoint to the brand identity and user experience intended by the company.
The Components of UX Strategy
The scope of a UX strategy can cover a wide range of products and services. Notwithstanding, the components of an effective UX strategy ensure the insights collected from the customer are incorporated to align with the brand’s overall objective.
Set Clear Goals
The first component of a successful UX strategy is setting well-defined goals. Setting detailed objectives and goals for the company’s user experience is essential to planning a strategy. The Nielsen Norman Group suggests that business goals should align with the improvements in the UX through set KPIs and metrics.
Collect User Insights
It is crucial to have a deep understanding of your end user. Pay attention to their expectations, behaviors, and needs that have been developed. Such data can only be collected through substantial quantitative and qualitative research.
Gather Trends and Conduct Competitive Analysis
Observing industry trends can help plan a UX strategy. The information you can gather can be utilized to influence your plan of action. Doing competitive analysis can help formulate a sound plan by enabling you to identify your competitor’s strategies.
Assessment of User Experience Current State
The company must identify where the brand or product is right now. By evaluating the current state of the UX, there will be a clear understanding of what needs to be done to get it to where the company wants it to be.
Plan
When all the previous components are already identified and accomplished, it is time to create a plan. Set the main goal and sub-goals needed to make the plan successful. Setting up KPIs and metrics helps measure the plan’s success.
Why is a User Experience Strategy Important?
A sound UX strategy is vital in ensuring everyone is on the same page when solving the problem for the end users. Here are some benefits of a solid UX strategy:
- It gets everyone on board.
- Metrics for success are defined.
- The user’s needs and the company’s goals are aligned and considered.
- It prioritizes customer UX.
- It bridges the gap between the end user and the brand.
Conclusion
To summarize, it can be said that a successful application relies on a strong UX foundation. Prioritizing the customer through an effective UX strategy is instrumental in giving them a pleasant experience while simultaneously elevating the brand to new heights.
Are you looking for a software development company that can help build you a solid UX strategy? Provisions Group can help you identify a goal and learn your customer’s pain points by conducting intensive research. Our team can map, wireframe, and build a mockup design that focuses on your users. Ready to get started?