How user experience and customer focus help you truly satisfy the consumer in an increasingly volatile and uncertain era
If there is something that is constantly desired by any business these days it is to achieve customer satisfaction, whether in a product or service. And do you know what the real reason for this great dispute is? It is that a satisfied and happy customer, with a good shopping experience, is much more likely to become a loyal customer – and this is one of the most valuable types of consumers for any company, especially in the digital world.
Retail is no different! As mentioned in another post here on the blog, according to a study by the Brazilian Electronic Commerce Association (Abcomm), in this period of pandemic caused by Covid-19, 150 thousand new online sales channels were created, while the monthly average was 10 thousand . In other words, most potential customers throughout the retail are ready to buy in this format.
But as the use of social networks increases, with paid content and content appearing in different forms, a multitude of mobile applications, streaming for all tastes, how are you getting your customer’s attention and satisfaction? Is the experience you are providing for him positive? Has this journey been continuously improved?
If you don’t have answers to these questions or if these questions didn’t even cross your mind at some point, we’re sure this article will help you better understand this topic and rethink your future strategies.
The importance of being customer centric
Before understanding what the term user experience is in practice, it is important to know what is customer centric and its impact on truly modern and digital businesses. The term customer centric (in free translation means customer at the center) is used to denominate the concept of putting the customer really at the center of all decisions and planning of a company/product.
From the first moment a potential consumer has contact with the brand, through the different stages of the purchase journey, after-sales and even the way you use the product, all strategies for these processes are developed by putting the customer at the center of that plan.
This way of thinking, which has been gaining more and more space with the digital transformation that companies have been undergoing, is directly related to user experience practices, which we will explain below.
Also Read: You Look Agile But Not Customer Focused? You’re probably losing the game!
Practical user experience
The term User Experience (UX), that is, User Experience is the real experience that the consumer has when having contact with a product and/or service. The objective of UX practices is to make businesses more attractive, intuitive and desirable, of course, always striving for efficiency, in order to make that user a customer, in the best possible way.
This positive experience can be created in any user contact channels. On websites and mobile apps, for example, the focus is on making the navigation much more fluid so that the customer can quickly find the information they are looking for, without having difficulties in solving what they need in that particular channel.
To ensure this journey focused on the customer and their needs, User Experience specialists work with functional and practical issues, but also with all the emotional side of the experience, thus promoting better results for a company, since the chances of conversion grow with these practices.
This planning, focused on the user experience, can also save effort and money, and increase your company’s profits. According to Robert Pressman’s book, “Software Engineering: A Professional Approach”, for every $1 spent in UX to solve a problem during product planning, $10.00 would be spent to solve the same problem in development and $100 or more for the issue to be resolved after the product was released.
In other words, in addition to avoiding problems, this user-focused planning can also direct and facilitate the path between the customer and your product. It’s also worth noting that a recent study by Forrester Research revealed that a well-designed user interface can increase a website’s conversion rate by up to 200%, and a good user experience can raise conversion rates by 400%.
How to make this transformation?
Being more digital and more agile is not just about being in a digitized environment and being ready to respond quickly to change. To be prepared for these constant changes, a company must, first, evolve its mentality and culture.
Okay, but what are the characteristics of organizations that are really customer centric and care about user and customer experience? These are:
- Teams start solving situations by the customer’s need to define the best viable solution;
- People know the journey of users and personas clearly;
- Business and Information Technology areas, for example, work together daily in a collaborative way;
- Deliveries are focused on actually creating value;
- Similar experiences across all channels (omnichannel), whether digital or physical;
- Teams work in short cycles to gather feedback from customers;
- Data-based analytics;
- Focus on the customer and also on their emotions;
- Company goals focused on business or customer, that is, to generate value and not just goals for project delivery;
Get started now!
Finally, it is important to remember that any change in mindset is a long journey, but full of benefits for your company and your customers. Therefore, look for qualified specialists to co-create with you this map of the transformation of your business, to be more agile and digital in the right way.
See how we transformed the user experience of the Sem Parar app, one of the main payment services for tolls, parking, drive-thrus, gas stations and other accredited establishments, which had a 315% increase in the user base with our consultancy. Schedule a chat with one of our consultants and understand how we can help you get better results.
