• Examine users

First of all, you need to understand for whom exactly you are designing. There are many methods to get information about your users. Combine quantitative and qualitative analytics and reviews. Only by understanding the goals, needs, and desires of your users, you can create an effective design for them. Create a visitor profile (persona) – a collective image of all your customers. Who are they? What are their goals? What are their “pain points”? Motives? Try to describe your users in as much detail as possible.

• Define scenarios

Further, based on the results of your research, clearly define what you (or rather your users) are trying to achieve. Create the perfect “journey map” for your client and identify any possible barriers to his path. Identify as many scenarios and uses as possible for your product/service. Are there any technical limitations? Is what you intend to do consistent with the vision of the product/service?

• Form an idea

Gather all the information gathered together and proceed to brainstorm. Create a story to visually convey the problem you are trying to solve. It is also a great way to present your idea to all those involved in the decision-making process.

• Create a prototype

Prototyping is the most effective way to “revive” your idea even before the development stage. Throw on the paper a layout of the interface with all its important components, and then ask as many people as possible to play the script. This process will help you identify any potential barriers or unexpected user behavior that you might overlook.

• Test

Testing is vital to UX design. This does not have to be a long, laborious process. According to the Nielsen Norman Group, 85% of all problems on your site can be identified by just 5 users. Ask your peers to do remote user testing, or ask your clients to try out new features before they are fully implemented.

• Repeat steps as necessary

Depending on the results of your testing, you may need to go back to the stage of formulating the idea and find some other alternative solutions. The UX design process is iterative: some steps must be repeated to achieve the desired result.

Why invest in UX?

1. Increase brand loyalty

People interact with you to solve some kind of problem. If they are satisfied with the experience of interacting with your product, they are more likely to continue to use it and will recommend it to their friends. Thanks to good UX, users become “advocates” of your brand (brand advocates).

2. Profit increase

One of the best ways to get people to buy your product is to simplify this process as much as possible. UX helps to achieve the ultimate goal of the user, and if your product can satisfy this goal, then, without a doubt, you should invest in a positive experience. In the case of an eCommerce site, a good UX provides the visitor with a smooth browsing experience and a quick checkout process, which leads to more transactions and, consequently, increased profits

3. Save time, money and resources

A good UX prevents endless error correction, a pointless waste of time and money on reworking a site. Besides, if your product is intuitive to use, it does not need any user documentation or instructions for use, which again saves you money.

UX vs CX: which is more important for your business?

Conclusion

The best way to create a positive user experience is to engage your users in a dialogue. Let them tell you what works and – more importantly – does not work, and you can always provide the best possible experience for them.