A significant recent statistic has emerged suggesting that 55% of online businesses do not conduct any form of online user research.
The Benefits of UX
There is a wealth of proven data to illustrate the benefits of UX-centric design and testing. For example other surveys have variously concluded that:
- 88% of users say that will not return to a site where they have had a poor user experience;
- Nearly three-quarters of businesses believe that good user experience is the key to success;
- 79% of customers will abandon or switch to a competitor if they have a bad onsite experience:
- Good UX design can lead to a 200% increase in conversion rates;
- More than 9 out of 10 users will report a bad user experience to others while only a slightly smaller number will actively recommend a site that gave them a good experience;
- Testing with as few as five users can uncover more than 80% of usability issues.
Given this wealth of persuasive data why are 55% of businesses not engaged with the process? It might be that the problems and benefits are not that apparent without actually digging down or taking some action – or it might just be that the principles of UX design and research are not known or understood. Whatever the reasons, if your business is in this 55%, and you are struggling to prove to your CEO (or perhaps yourself) that UX research is a beneficial area, here are some arguments that you might wish to consider.
Websites employing good and informed user experience research and design show better retention, conversion and return rates than those that don’t
- The vast majority of users judge a business by the quality of design and first impression they receive from their website – so if your website doesn’t function to an acceptable standard, the reputation as well as the bottom line of your business, suffers;
- If your competitors are using UX design and testing they will be learning about your customers and possibly using that information to entice and convert them to their brands and products – it is simple good practice to keep abreast of rivals activity;
- Well-designed and easy-to-use and navigate websites benefit all aspects of your business – your users spend less time getting what they want and are more likely to purchase because of that and even your own staff will find increased efficiencies in a well-presented website (as well as intranet);
- Users spread the word about good websites and they achieve a cachet and reputation that you could not build in any other way; conversely a poorly dsigned and constructed site will put customers off and quickly garner a name for being difficult, frustrating, time-wasting and other negative connotations;
- Getting your website broadly in line with user needs and expectations before you launch it means you save money in fixing problems and spend less time dealing with issues and user queries thereby saving money and time for your staff and organisation.
Positive user experience is a vital component of a successful online business and it is impossible to achieve this effectively without structured and thought-through UX research and subsequent design based on the findings. If your business is not operating at this level you are probably losing customers and profits. It will soon be imperative that all organisations engage in this type of activity.
So, if you would like to learn more about how UX testing can help augment and expand your online business, ring us on +44(0)800 0246247 or email us at hello@ux247.com to arrange a no-commitment chat.
