Due to rapid and constantly evolving digitization, technical systems, devices and processes are changing rapidly. Most people, on the other hand, tend to retain habits. Adapting to digital changes takes time and patience, as humans are naturally more inclined to stick to the tried and true. However, a positive user experience (UX) could encourage your customers to take the next digital step. Studies show that people are more open to new technical systems thanks to positive UX. Especially in the IT industry, digital progress and the creation of a positive user experience are particularly important in order to remain competitive as a provider.
Positive experiences increase a person's satisfaction. Consequently, the person is more willing to have the same experience again. It's the same with products and services, so the rule is quite simple: if users are not offered a positive UX, they will not want to use the proposed product.
People are mainly interested in the function of a product and often overlook the high relevance of the UX. The interface between man and machine or software solution is just as important. Thus, feelings that a product evokes in people at the moment of use also determine its success or failure. Questions such as «Is the product easy to use?» or «Is it pleasant to interact with?» can help determine whether a positive UX is present. User experience designer Jesse James Garrett, describes in his book «The Elements of User Experience.»
Inconspicuous, small things that make up good design have a much stronger effect on the user than one would initially think.
To achieve an optimal UX, customer expectations should be at the center. The requirements placed on the product must be clearly defined. Peter Morville, author and expert in the field of UX, describes the seven factors for a positive UX as follows:
Whether a product is useful may be a matter of opinion and is classified differently depending on the individual. For example, a pedestrian may consider a bicycle to be useful, while a luxury car enthusiast may have little use for a bicycle. In addition to different quality characteristics, those products with a good UX will survive on the market, while others will disappear again within a short time.
A product should be useful for customers and satisfy their needs efficiently and in the best possible way. As a rule, quality and usability improve with increasing maturity, which is why it is well worth replacing older models with new ones.
Available products must be easily found so that they are consumed. If we think of software, the information and functionality contained should be logically ordered, organized and described. The possibility of online ordering facilitates the purchase decision. In the case of user manuals for household appliances, on the other hand, there is often still a lot of potential for improvement in terms of finding settings.
Sustainable customer trust is a top priority and is vital for the survival of any company. A positive UX significantly strengthens trust in a product and in the manufacturer. Once trust is established, however, it must continue to be intensively cultivated in order to retain customers in the long term.
Branding, brand, image, design, identity and emotionality determine the desire for a product. If these points are rated as good or very good, demand increases and the probability that the product will be recommended by customers grows.
«Accessibility» determines whether a product can be purchased and used by as many people as possible. Software products in particular are designed and developed for barrier-free access, with the aim of giving people with handicaps (blind, paralyzed, etc.) free access to products and services. Particular attention should be paid here to visual, mobility and cognition.
A product should offer added value, be appealing and valuable. It is unwise to pay too much, but it is even worse to pay too little. If you pay too much, you lose some money, that's all. On the other hand, if you pay too little, in some cases you lose your entire investment because the item you bought cannot do the job it was designed to do.
We can conclude from this that customers can be fully satisfied if a product takes the above points into account. A positive experience with a digitally advanced product or service increases the willingness of users to use the product, to make use of the service, and to recommend it to others. Last but not least, the interest of potential customers can be aroused if an optimal UX is offered. At pidas, we also take the seven factors described into account and incorporate them into the development of our software and hardware, such as our CORA.