There is no underestimating how important the design of your company’s ‘product’ is – i.e. your website, mobile application, or software. This does not only relate to what it looks like, but also how long it takes to load and whether navigation is easy and effective. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula when it comes to getting the design right. However, there is a path that most designers seem to be going down, and that is user experience design – commonly abbreviated to UX design. Keeping that in mind, read on to discover why all product startups must invest in a great UX design…
What is UX design?
Before revealing the significance of UX design, it is first imperative to reveal what it actually is. It is a discipline that is centred on designing the end-to-end experience of a certain product. In essence, this design centres on addressing the needs of your users at every stage of your product life cycle. Business owners are too commonly telling their users what they want them to know, instead of considering what the user needs. When it comes to UX design, everything from receiving an email invoice to the usability of the home page is considered with the user in mind. Several years ago this style of design was considered a niche, but now it is a well and truly a necessity.
Compete with big industry players
There are many reasons why UX design is so important. When it comes to start-ups, it gives you the chance to compete with the bigger players in the industry. Good design and user experience is not something that can be duplicated easily. Therefore, if you manage to achieve this, you can really set yourself apart from the competition – including the mature products in your industry. Using the ASK method is a good way to go about this. This is all about finding out what your audience, i.e. potential customers, really want. By getting to the bottom of this and delivering a user experience that caters to this, you have the winning formula.
Break down the trust barrier
Moreover, one area where startups also face obstacles is in relation to trust. After all, why should a consumer trust you when they don’t know anything about you and you have no track record? Design and UX helps to create the atmosphere of confidence you require. Quality website builders can help you to achieve this. You won’t be able to keep a loyal consumer base without it. Whilst a consumer may purchase a product based on its features, this will not keep them interested in the long-run. They will only keep coming back if the experience is a good one.
Further benefits associated with effective UX design
It is evident that users are at the heart of UX design, and therefore to gain the advantages that have just been mentioned, it becomes imperative for you to get to know your clients if you are going to integrate this approach effectively. You need to be able to spot the problem of your future users. You need to define it and determine the issues it causes, and most importantly, you must eliminate it. This is the recipe for successful UX design. Yet, it means that you need to take a different approach to the one you are likely to have now. You need to actually talk to your clients and get to know them. If you fail to do this, you are merely guessing what your customers’ feel, and thus you fall back into the trap of providing them with what you think they need, rather than what they actually need.
To conclude, the boom in UX design is no coincidence. If you want your product to stand tall against mature products in the industry, you need to embrace this approach. It will build trust and confidence in your brand, and ensure that you create a consumer base that keeps coming back for more. However, developing a design with good user experience is a lot easier said than done. It takes a lot of research and testing so you can determine your consumers’ pain points and address them in the most effective manner.
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