User experience

Eigenschaften benutzerfreundlicher Software
The 7 characteristics of user-friendly software 994 537 Sebastian Loos

The 7 characteristics of user-friendly software

THE 7 CHARACTERISTICS OF USER-FRIENDLY SOFTWARE

In this article:

  1. User Experience: Get away from complexity!
  2. The characteristics of user-friendly software
  3. Why is user experience important in the software sector?
  4. Digital signage: A great example of intuitive software
  5. UX as a criteria for choosing software
  6. The future development of user experience in the software sector 
  7. Conclusion

Traits of user friendly software

 

User Experience: Get away from complexity!

Ideally, software optimizes internal processes and increases efficiency – in this respect, the requirements of companies are clearly defined. However, many applications are complex and difficult to use due to the various functions. Therefore, another aspect has gained a lot of relevance, namely user experience. 

Many software applications do not meet the requirements in the area of user experience. They lack flexibility and intuitiveness. To address these challenges, software developers are increasingly paying attention to the user experience. Two aspects are focused on here: Making applications easier to use and that businesses make adjustments on their own. 

In this article, we take a closer look at the relevance of user experience in the software sector. We name key characteristics and what the future development looks like. We also give an example and why companies should also use usability as a decision criteria when choosing software. 

 

The characteristics of user-friendly software

Intuitivity

User-friendly software is self-explanatory and easy to use. Familiarization phases are unavoidable, but should take little time. Core functions quickly catch the eye, and use is without queries to developers or manuals. A clear user interface encourages interaction between people and the application.

 

Adaptability

Even industry-specific software often fails to meet the diverse needs of companies. Depending on the product or target group, customizable solutions are required. This also plays an important role in terms of design, because every company has a corporate identity. Standardized software does not offer a target-oriented solution here. 

 

Flexibility

The flexibility of software is based on two characteristics. First, it should be possible for several people to work on an application at the same time. Second, software should ideally be compatible with multiple end devices and operating systems. This facilitates targeted collaboration and the design of efficient processes within the team. 

 

Helpful

Software without a support function is often of limited use. In such cases, the only option is to consult with customer service, but this costs time. Developers should provide a help area or FAQ section so that users can overcome challenges on their own. 

 

Accessibility

Accessibility has become increasingly relevant in recent years.This does not only refer to the use by people with disabilities, because the focus is mainly on situational accessibility. Example: You want to watch a video on the train and have forgotten your headphones.Without subtitles, you can’t understand the content. 

Situational accessibility is relevant in the use of software. Every day, entrepreneurs edit their videos on their tablets or organize their teams on their cell phones. In this respect, it should be possible to use applications in any location and without restriction. 

Accessibility should not be confused with mobility. The latter refers to ensuring that applications function flawlessly on mobile devices. Accessibility concerns unrestricted use in various situations. 

 

Sustainability

This does not refer to ecological aspects, but to ensuring that software remains up to date in the long term. Depending on the industry, product and target group, requirements change and developers must adapt to changing customer needs. 

 

Meeting expectations

Usability is not just based on ease of use or that an application works across different devices. Most importantly, software must meet high expectations. The focus is still on the benefits of software, and with that comes certain expectations regarding functionality. Meeting these forms is a core characteristic of user experience. 

 

Why is user experience important in the software sector?

There are more and more location-independent start-ups or companies that have largely digitized their processes. Therefore, there is a greater dependence on apps and other technical applications. Many companies no longer function at all without software. 

With the current development in the field of AI and the increasing complexity of business ideas, the requirements for software are also increasing. Here, developers are faced with the challenge of meeting customer demands while providing a good user experience.

Software with poor user experience requires a long learning curve with many queries. This is compounded by difficulties in implementation, which slows down processes. Lack of customizability means that software does not provide the desired individual added value. And these difficulties cause additional costs or an increased expenditure of time. 

 

UX as a criteria for choosing software

The most important decision criteria when choosing a software are costs, efficiency, individual benefits and competitive advantages. One aspect often takes a back seat here, namely the user experience. 

As already mentioned, a poor user experience costs your company resources. In addition, a lack of adaptability can cause difficulties in connection with individual requirements. Such criteria definitely outweigh the economic aspect. While choosing cost-effective software saves more money, hurdles in terms of user experience are more expensive in the long run.

 

Digital Signage: A great example of intuitive software

User-friendly software is easy to operate and accessible via various end devices. In addition, there is ideally the possibility to make individual adjustments. However, there are other ways to make software more user-friendly – including allowing multiple people to use an application at the same time.

FRAMR’s digital signage software also meets these requirements. During development, our team made sure to combine customer requirements with user experience elements. In addition to ease of use, flexibility and customization, it is also possible for multiple people to use the application at the same time. 

Through an interactive interface, our customers create appealing designs with a manageable amount of work. A wide range of design options enables an individual target group approach in the corporate identity. Digital signage solutions are also industry-independent and can be used via mobile devices. In case of difficulties regarding the application, our support area is at your disposal, which deals with all important questions in detail. In addition, we offer a free trial version to familiarize yourself with the application in advance. Feel free to try it out and see for yourself!

 

The future development of user experience in the software sector 

The demand for high-quality software is increasing. The primary desire of users is to make applications as simple as possible. At the same time, users want a wide range of functions and individual application options. However, in terms of user experience, the two are only compatible to a limited extent. Sebastian from our marketing team also experiences this on a regular basis. He reports:

As a hobby musician, I use software for various tasks. Creating electronic drums and guitar riffs, cutting audio, creating videos, and so on. I’ve noticed that while there are more and more options and application scenarios, software is becoming more complex at the same time. Hardly any application can be used without a YouTube tutorial. Even a free video editing software with limited functions requires a three-hour training phase. 

One of the biggest challenges in software development is to meet higher demands while at the same time fulfilling user experience requirements. On the one hand, customers want more individuality and functions than with competing products. On the other hand, software is becoming more complex as a result – user-friendly solutions are relevant here. 

 

Conclusion

Software must meet user experience requirements in order for companies to fully realize efficiency benefits. Digital signage is a good example of this. However, more steps in user-centricity are important to unite advanced functionality and UX. 

 

Image: © Canva.com

5 ways to more accessibility in marketing 776 537 Lukas Aumair

5 ways to more accessibility in marketing

5 WAYS TO MORE ACCESSIBILITY IN MARKETING

Inclusion belongs to the biggest challenges of our society and of businesses. We present 5 concepts to increase accessibility in marketing.

Table of contents

  1. Accessibility in marketing: A challenge with many facets
  2. Greenwashing 2.0? What businesses need to consider
  3. 5 ways to more accessibility in marketing
  4. Conclusion

 

The most important in a nutshell

  • Methods to increase accessibility facilitate the interaction between businesses and people with disabilities or handicap
  • Inclusion must not be promoted under the same guise as other societal challenges (e. g. sustainability)
  • Changes in communication and advertising increase accessibility in marketing

Accessibility in marketing

 

Accessibility in marketing: A challenge with many facets

Inclusion belongs to the biggest challenges of our society. Our economy as its engine accordingly plays an important role. But many businesses fail to face challenges in accessibility. The main problem is not the comfort zone but rather the fact that accessibility requires an optimization and restructuring of existing business processes. 

In this article we will further talk about accessibility in marketing and which opportunities are given to improve communication between businesses and humans with handicaps. Limitations mostly affect human senses, especially listening and seeing. But often there are linguistic hurdles – many people have a reading and spelling disability for instance which is why they don’t understand complex content.

Some businesses already succeed in executing accessibility but there is still potential left. Digital transformation ensures a precise optimization of existing business processes but many companies fail to establish methods to increase accessibility.

→ Just ask yourself at this point if you have ever seen static facebook advertisements with audio display? Or how many websites do you know which provide functions to support accessibility? You will probably realize that there are no pioneers in this area. 

Countries like Germany even agreed to execute a law to increase accessibility. The law will be executed in 2025 and that comes with some pressure because yet, too many businesses fail to improve accessibility.

 

Greenwashing 2.0? What businesses need to consider

Accessibility in marketing should not become some kind of guise to purposely seek out advantages in competition. This development can be seen in sustainability – many businesses, even big ones like Aldi, promote their supposed sustainable products and advertise with sustainability-seals to position themselves as pioneers in this area. But often these products aren’t sustainable and those eco-seals can be attained under the easiest requirements. This is called “Greenwashing”.

Inclusion shouldn’t reach this dimension. It would be too much to ask that companies no longer see their own advantage in restructuring existing processes, but that is not the point. Furthermore, businesses shouldn’t place themselves as pioneers when they don’t meet their responsibilities fully. Who considered accessibility in marketing, but won’t execute it in other business areas, isn’t any different from companies which claim to be sustainable but still produce tons of CO2.

But back to the topic of accessibility: Don’t use inclusion as an advertising medium. Good service will pay off sooner or later because businesses which consider accessibility will have advantages over their competitors in the long term.

 

5 ways to more accessibility in marketing

To push accessibility in marketing further, innovative improvements are required in the first step. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to ensure that. Simple rethinking will help you to try out new ideas or to execute existing approaches in a way to meet requirements of accessibility.

Overview of the five ways:

  • Plugins for your website
  • Focus on new marketing methods
  • Content distribution
  • Make interaction easier
  • Creative elements

 

Plugins for your website

In times of digitization more and more businesses take advantage of a blog to expand brand awareness and to generate more website visitors. These visitors are turned into leads to interact with the business in the long term. That results in advantages regarding customer acquisition and loyalty as well as businesses selling more goods and products.

Because of the mentioned reasons, the focus is more on improving the user experience of a website. The goal is to provide better interaction possibilities for users in order to strengthen the brand image. Hereby businesses especially focus on improving the mobile version of a website.
But in the field of accessibility there is not a lot happening and there are barely websites which take on these challenges. Thereby there are many ways to integrate accessible functions on your website. WordPress users can easily expand their website with accessible functions by using plugins.

You can use the following plugins to ensure more accessibility in your marketing:

  • One Click Accessibility
  • Accessibility for WP
  • Text Zoom
  • Accessibility by UserWay
  • Screen Reader Accessibility

When implementing these plugins, make sure they are compatible with your website. Additional plugins possibly have a negative impact on PageSpeed which will also worsen the user experience on your website.

 

Focus on new marketing methods

Businesses which don’t recognize digital marketing trends will struggle a lot against their competitors in the next few years. Those who follow marketing trends will establish new ways of communication with their target group and will therefore position themselves in the field of accessible applications.

Let’s go back to mobile versions of a website once again. An optimized responsive web design belongs to search engine optimization criteria and will therefore improve your Google ranking. That’s why you will barely find a web designer who will not optimize the mobile version of your website anymore. Although the criteria of search engine optimization plays a much bigger role for businesses, it will still have a positive impact on accessibility in marketing.

-> So while you are trying to improve the position of your business by executing digital marketing methods, you will improve user experience and therefore accessibility as well. Win-win.

 

Content distribution ensures more accessibility in marketing

All forms of marketing reach different groups of persons and their preferences in processing information. For instance, blog articles are great for providing in-depth and very informational content. Podcasts on the other hand are convincing with practical examples and more flexibility.

→ Both marketing methods have one thing in common: They guarantee accessibility.

Blog articles communicate information in writing which is why they are a good alternative for people with a hearing disability which therefore don’t find any access to podcasts. But podcasts on the other hand are an auditive source of knowledge which is a great alternative for people with a reading and spelling disability.

Combine different content channels to ensure a barrier free interaction with your target audience. To be fair, a broad content distribution requires temporal as well as financial resources but a good content strategy will improve accessibility even when you only use a few different content marketing channels.

 

Creative elements

Creative elements support accessibility in marketing. Videos, for instance, work perfectly to communicate visual content and the subtitle function even ensures access for people with a hearing disability.

Emojis help to communicate messages better and give clues to the content for people with a reading disability. This approach works especially well for social media posts.

Using creative elements also means to make the right choice regarding the corporate identity. Avoid hard to read colors (e. g. yellow) and hard to read color combinations (e. g. dark gray font on black elements).

Accessibility in marketing

 

Conclusion: Focus on user experience

The trend in marketing clearly goes in the direction of user experience. Technical aspects and for search engines generated content will not lose relevance but in the foreground are human beings and their interests. Accessibility in marketing is part of user experience because businesses are responsible for reaching out to all users equally. With plugins / apps for your website, changes in design and content distribution you will reach this goal.

 

Bilder: © Canva.com

Chatbots: Virtual salesman or just a better FAQ section? 994 537 Lukas Aumair

Chatbots: Virtual salesman or just a better FAQ section?

CHATBOTS: VIRTUAL SALESMAN OR JUST A BETTER FAQ SECTION?

Many companies are banking on the strengths of chatbots, but how useful are they in 2023?

In this article:

  1. What is a chatbot?
  2. The B2B sector is not interested into chatbots
  3. Chatbots solve three big problems of businesses
  4. More than 85 percent of users report about good experiences
  5. What are the challenges of using chatbots?
  6. This is how you successfully use artificial intelligence for your business
  7. Conclusion: Are chatbots THE communication tool of the future?

 

The most important information in a nutshell:

  • Chatbots help automize business processes and also use them for lead generation (for example)
  • According to surveys, the use of AI on websites has a positive impact on the user experience
  • Care must be taken to use chatbots in a GDPR-compliant manner

 

Customer service, good communication and user experience – these three aspects are some of the most important competitive factors. In 2022 the main focus isn’t necessarily on the most unique product or the best priced services (although this is important!), what matters is the “How” not the “What”. 

Consumers and B2B clients know that they have a wide choice on the market and they can request an offer with just a few clicks. This is why businesses regularly look for ways to build a communication channel early and to stand out against their competitors. One strategy is particularly popular in the B2C sector: The use of chatbots.

This communication tool has existed since the end of the 1960s, but in its full functional version most businesses have first started to use the chatbot in the past ten years. Reasons for that are the automation of communication processes and the fast execution of customer inquiries.

But are chatbots useful in the first place? And how can businesses take advantage of artificial intelligence? What are possible challenges?
In the following we will take a closer look at these questions and which role chatbots will play in the future of B2B businesses. So much in advance: Chatbots solve three of the biggest challenges of businesses.

Common uses of AI

 

First, the definition: What is a chatbot?

A chatbot is a text based dialogue system which uses artificial intelligence to communicate in natural language. Users, for example website visitors, can ask questions and the chatbot answers in either text or audio format.
The application areas are diverse. Chatbots can answer questions about products but can also generate leads and communicate with potential applicants. Also for the industries there are no limitations – both the financial sector and personnel service providers as well as software businesses equally take advantage of the possibilities of artificial intelligence.

The emphasis here is deliberately on “artificial intelligence” because there are rule based chatbots with predefined commands as well. Such dialogue systems are based on the classic FAQ format because users can choose a question and the chatbot then displays the predefined answer. Through the use of artificial intelligence the chatbot works independently and is even able to have complex dialogues with users.

 

The B2B sector is not interested into chatbots

A study shows that only 58 % of B2B businesses used chatbots in 2021*. Considering the current development of digital communication, this number might come as a surprise but it does not come from nowhere. Most B2B businesses reach out to their audience and acquire them by phone or by using facebook ads. For this approach the term “Outbound marketing” was invented.

The opposite is inbound marketing, so that interested parties reach out to a business, for example by searching for a specific blog article topic or by subscribing to social media channels. Because of google ads and SEO this became a strongly relevant approach which is supported by chatbots because of their interaction with customers. An example for what the process could look like: Interested parties search for a service and on the website they are provided with help by the chatbot which answers relevant questions regarding advantages and features / characteristics. Afterwards, the chatbot offers an appointment and the potential client then is given the opportunity to leave contact details.

Here it becomes clear that AI is perfect for lead generation and to support marketing strategies.

→ But why do only a few B2B businesses use chatbots then?

In outbound marketing, the use of chatbots is quite limited. For example, it is possible that businesses win attention for their services by using facebook ads and the chatbot helps to communicate with website visitors which got in touch with the business through these ads. However, the strategy of companies often provides for clarifying important questions directly via the advertisement, so that interested parties get in touch with a Call-To-Action and therefore without even visiting the website.

Marketing via chatbots is also difficult for complex and high-priced services. These require targeted marketing, in which individual questions must be answered and decision-makers must also be convinced on a personal level. This is hardly possible with a chatbot because the AI recognizes customer needs only to a certain extent and therefore can’t respond to individual wishes.

Article → What are use cases? Definition and examples

 

It would be wrong to claim that chatbots are not worth it in the B2B sector. The communicative support of chatbots delps decisively with marketing of products and services because the AI answers about 80 percent of all standard questions regarding usage and features. Lastly, many products or services aren’t only bought or claimed because of their characteristics but also because of good communication which is often a decisive factor for potential customers to start a cooperation.

On top of that, businesses save valuable resources by using chatbots which can be used otherwise – through automated communication, the focus of internal strengths remains on core competencies. Furthermore the functions of AI ensure versatile communication with answering individual questions and therefore, chatbots are much more than a FAQ section which only answers standard questions.

Advantages of chatbots

Since the beginning of our online presence, we at FRAMR. have integrated a chatbot on the website and use it to maintain communication with interested parties. Questions about our offer are answered easily and, above all, individually. Although the software and the functions of digital signage require explanation, we have no problems with communicating via a chatbot. In our case, the concept has even proven itself as a “virtual salesperson” and provided decisive advice to new customers. 

Especially interesting is the combination of digital signage and chatbot for the retail sector. As a virtual assistant, the AI helps with requests on information terminals and navigates customers independently. Thanks to digital signage, customers are provided with a centralized navigation point and the chatbot automizes the support completely. This interaction will digitize customer service as far as possible in the future and businesses will be able to save a lot of costs.

 

Chatbots solve three big problems of businesses

Let’s face it: everyone has heard about the benefits of chatbots. Answering questions, communicating with users in an automated way and freeing up company time are just three of many benefits of the AI. But one issue is rarely addressed:

→ What business challenges do chatbots solve? 

The change in entrepreneurship comes with many challenges and what didn’t matter only a few years ago, belongs to the basic pillars in competition now. Three of these challenges are accessibility, automated lead generation and cost savings in customer communication through digital applications.

Due to the given possibilities of a chatbot, the individual communication with customers is easier and even complex matters can be clarified. When chatbots got available for websites, applications primarily had the use to answer predefined questions. That might have been a user friendly approach in comparison to a FAQ section but companies weren’t really relieved. But that has changed and in 2023 chatbots ensure an uncomplicated dialogue with (potential) customers through which the personnel expenses are reduced and costs are saved.

In addition, the dialogue with website visitors allows them to query personal data to directly reach out to (potential) customers. If an interested party, for instance, wants to know more about the services of a business, the chatbot can offer an individual calculation in the dialogue. The potential client then provides his e-mail-address or telephone number and companies can create an offer.

Chatbot communication

But it’s not always just the resources that count – especially in online marketing, it plays a decisive role in how intuitive and user-friendly the handling of an application is. Accessibility is therefore focused by many businesses. In addition, barrier-free functions have become a SEO criteria and will also improve the findability of websites.

Using chatbots to support people with disabilities deviates from the classic concept of a dialogue system and provides assistance. Such functions can, for example, expand the size of letters on a website, fade out content on terminals (to reduce distractions), read out loud texts or display graphics more viewable.

 

More than 85 percent of users report about good experiences

Not only do chatbots provide businesses with advantages and chances, they also improve user experience. Statistics / surveys determined the following results:

  • About 30 percent of users are interested into AI based applications
  • One third of all users prefer communication with a chatbot
  • 64 percent of website visitors specify that they like the idea of a 24 hours customer service
  • More than 50 percent of surveyed said that chatbots positively influenced the experience with a business

Source: https://www.smallbizgenius.net/

Due to the growing possibilities with artificial intelligence, it is to expect that user experience will improve further. Customers expect higher and higher standards and everyone wants durable as well as user-friendly support – chatbots meet these requirements. Companies, even in the B2B sector, should keep these statistics in mind because they show the potential of automated communication.

What are the challenges of using chatbots?

The usage of chatbots comes with many advantages but also challenges. One of them is the aspect of data security. In general, chatbots don’t violate the GDPR but there are important requirements to fulfill to ensure the protection of personal data. Don’t forget: The GDPR compliant use of chatbots is not only in the interest of business security, but also influences the trust relationship with your website visitors and (potential) customers.

Another challenge concerns communication. Chatbots can only recognize human emotions in dialogue to a limited extent and even individual exchanges cannot be compared to personal interaction because the chatbot largely responds with automated messages. While AI enables communication beyond standard questions, it cannot replace one-on-one exchanges. It would be too much to expect the same interaction possibilities from a chatbot as from a human but customers do want eye-to-eye-support. No emotions and limited dialog options make communication more difficult and this can lead to misunderstandings.

However, progress is being made in this area and chatbots can at least partially recognize emotions. A google engineer recently announced that one of the company’s AI systems is sentient and interacts on a human level.

 

 

This is how you successfully use AI for your business

Setting goals is the number one priority. Every business benefits from communication through a chatbot in some way, even when it can only answer standard questions. Ideally, a chatbot is involved in a marketing strategy to generate leads to collect personal data for reaching out to potential customers. Provide interested parties with the opportunity to ask for an individual offer or to send them a free calculation. This causes users to submit their phone number or mail address so that you can contact them afterwards.

Chatbots also come with some disadvantages you should consider. Some users see chatbots as rather critical because they might recognize an approach of businesses to save money and to prevent the individual, personal contact.
Besides that, chatbots don’t work for all kinds of products or services. For instance, luxury goods or high-priced products are difficult to market through AI because the target audience expects individual support to answer specific questions.

Lastly, using chatbots shouldn’t become such a complicated thing. Using AI has equally advantages for all kinds of businesses but not a huge impact on marketing strategies or KPIs. This is why we give you the following advice: Just try it! There is nothing you can do wrong with chatbots and you provide your target audience with an efficient way of communication.

 

Conclusion: Are chatbots THE communication tool of the future?

Chatbots ensure many advantages for businesses, especially in customer service. Software developers recognize this potential which is why the functions of chatbots are regularly expanded and improved. The individual dialogue allows a targeted communication which goes beyond the supporting functions of a FAQ section. Chatbots will not be able to replace human-to-human-interaction in foreseeable time but the progress is noticeable and businesses steadily automate their communication processes.

Especially interesting is the progress in accessibility. Here it becomes clear that chatbots can do more than just answering messages, they are also an interactive system to provide supportive functions.

To answer the first question of this article: Yes, chatbots are useful. They will probably never be a key factor for a purposeful marketing strategy but will definitely support it and facilitate customer communication. One forecast refers to the fact that the cost savings of companies using chatbots will amount to 2.5 billion euros by 2023. In addition, a marketing report by “Drift” found in a study that chatbots are the fastest growing medium for brand communication.

Usage of chatbots

This growth clarifies which role chatbots will play in the future and especially that companies see a lot of potential in automated communication processes. Another mentionable aspect is the cost-benefit-ratio. Chatbots ensure, as already mentioned, cost savings and many advantages, however the costs are only about 150 up to 1.000 euros per year! On top of that, integration and hosting barely takes time.

 

Sources:

*https://outgrow.co/blog/vital-chatbot-statistics

https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/chatbot-statistics/#grefhttps://shanebarker.com/blog/challenges-and-benefits-of-ai-chatbots/#

User Experience: How to improve it in 2023 962 641 Christian

User Experience: How to improve it in 2023

USER EXPERIENCE:
HOW TO IMPROVE IT IN 2023

Applying User Experience methods is an important step for every business. FRAMR gives you advice on what to consider.

In this article:

  1. User Experience: How to improve it in 2023
  2. What is User Experience?
  3. Why is User Experience important?
  4. How to improve User Experience: Tips and tricks
  5. User Experience and how to improve it on mobile devices
  6. How to measure User Experience?
  7. Conclusion
  8. FAQ

 

User Experience: How to improve it in 2023

Growing competition requires innovation and outside the box thinking. Only about 15 years ago companies with a website had a strong and tight position on the market. In 2023, this belongs to the past. Customers are given more possibilities and in every niche there is lots of competition. Search engine optimization and social media are the first steps, but one aspect is often overlooked: Getting the target group to not leave the website and interact with call to action buttons and / or contact fields. In this article we’ll give you valuable information on how to improve your User Experience and which opportunities you have.

 

UX Design

UX Design: An important factor in terms of mobility | © Amélie Mourichon

 

What is User Experience?

Most people have heard of User Experience (UX), especially regarding websites and their usability. That answers the question about the definition: User Experience sums up all aspects of user interaction and usability with a product or service. That doesn’t only include the experience with apps or websites but how users interact with a product or service as a whole. User Experience is measured by communication between business and customer, possibilities in mobility, how easy it is to interact with a website and how short the ways are to call to actions (e. g. contact form, newsletter button etc.).

 

Why is User Experience important?

It is no secret that user experience was an important topic even before digitization, but the focus was on other aspects. User experience was taken for granted because analog applications were considered easy to use and on-site contact with companies meant there was appropriate help from staff. In the digital age, however, the focus is on automated processes and it is precisely this that causes difficulties for many users / customers.

Such difficulties are particularly apparent with websites: The dwell time of visitors is shortening due to growing competition. Consumers know that they are only a few clicks away from a comparable provider and accordingly look for uncomplicated solutions. Companies often find themselves in the situation where their website generates a lot of visitors, but the bounce rate is relatively high. The solution is obvious: no focus on user experience. And since user experience is also a competitive criterion, there are additional disadvantages compared to competitors.

So the need for user experience exists because otherwise your competitors will have advantages over you and at the same time customer satisfaction will also drop. Google is also increasingly shifting the focus of content marketing to usability – for years, search engine optimized content was considered the most important aspect of good content, but core updates from 2023 (e.g. helpful content) aim to prioritize user-oriented texts and content.

 

How to improve User Experience: Tips and tricks

The high bounce rate of websites requires the right and especially solution oriented behavior. With our following tips you’ll reduce the Google Analytics bounce rate of your website as well as you will improve your company’s image.

 

Communicate your USP and VP as direct and understandable as possible

Your unique selling proposition (USP) and value proposition (VP) make you stand out in comparison to your competitors. When searching for the right product or service, the number one question of potential customers is: Why?
There are many competitors on the market which all offer similar solutions – constantly improving your offer won’t make things better, what matters is the way to communicate the value to your target group.

Every business has a unique selling proposition (What makes me stand out in comparison to my competitors?) and a value proposition (Which value / advantages can I provide to my target group?) with which you reach your potential customers. Ask yourself if it’s clear for customers to recognize both the USP and VP the moment they visit your website.

 

Technical terms? Please not!

As important as it is to represent your company as a serious business, too pragmatic texts won’t reach your audience. Technical terms, very long texts and boring content won’t reach your target group. Many businesses fall for the so-called “SEO trap”. That means companies optimize their texts based on SEO relevant criteria but forget to take a closer look at their target group. Sure, texts which are too “salesy” aren’t appealing either and especially technical products require less salesy texts than beauty products for example. But still, good texts awake emotions and needs in potential customers.

 

Easy usage of the website

A big sitemap, sub pages with too much content and an user unfriendly design – these aspects of User Experience is what website visitors notice first. In case a website appears too full, some visitors don’t know where to start or how to interact with it. Therefore, they will leave the website.

 

Barrier free usage: Access for everyone

Another positive aspect of digital progress is that everyone takes advantage of it, even human beings with handicaps. Specific apps and plugins for websites give access to functions for barrier free usage. These include functions such as reading texts, changing size of letters and optical changes.

 

Responsive web design: Mobility is more important than ever before

More than 70 per cent of website visits come from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Even though a responsive web design isn’t as appealing as the desktop version, optimizing a website’s design and content for mobile devices is crucial in 2023.

 

Ask yourself the right questions

In the first step, good User Experience is defined by a target group friendly website. The process goes beyond that because the product or service itself shouldn’t make the lives of consumers harder. But: To reach this step in the first place, interest of the target group is required and in 2023 the first contact of potential customers with a business is mostly through the website or other marketing methods such as paid ads or social media channels.

 

Ask yourself the following questions to improve the User Experience:

  • How can I effectively communicate my product / services to potential customers?
  • How does the value of my products / services appear to my audience right away when they visit my website and how can I use, for instance, use cases to communicate advantages?
  • Do I consider important aspects such as mobility or barrier free experience?
  • Is it clear for my target group what to expect on my website?
  • Are the ways to the call to action button (contact form, newsletter subscription etc.) too long?
  • Does the content of paid ads and social media fit with the content on my website?
  • Can we use methods to improve communication (e. g. through chatbots)?

The last question is important for the complete online performance: Even when using social media or paid ads, User Experience shouldn’t be a secondary thing. Bad written texts and hard to understand descriptions of products and services belong to the most common reasons why users don’t click on a website.

 

Mobility

Mobility: Don’t underestimate the impact on User Experience | © Taras Shypka

 

User Experience and how to improve it on mobile devices

Relevance of responsive web designs increases especially with the given possibilities in app design in comparison to just a few years ago. But more possibilities in IT and programming also means that products become more complex and that on the other hand requires a better focus on User Experience.

But not only do the possibilities in app design expand because in the area of mobile devices there is also lots of progress. A good example is digital signage software.

Digital-visual screens which display content through software – many know them as information terminals. Possibilities for users have developed in the past years and that offers more opportunities in general. Goal of digital screens is the compact display of easy to understand content and simple usage. But to improve User Experience even more there are smartphone integrations. FRAMR offers an uncomplicated as well as a very fast connection with the smartphone through QR code and a great User Experience thanks to cross platform design. Our team sets a good example for User Experience and makes an important move to use digital signage software independently.

 

This is how you combine user experience and innovation

The relevance of responsive web design continues to grow, especially because the possibilities in app design are more extensive than they were a few years ago. However, more possibilities in IT and software development also mean that products have more complex features, which in turn requires a closer look at the user experience.

A good example of this is digital signage solutions. These are digital-visual screens that play out content thanks to software. The goal of digital signage is the compact reproduction of easy-to-understand content and good usability to promote interaction between the company and the user. To improve the interaction with users, digital signage combines other innovative methods from marketing, for example gamification.

FRAMR enables a straightforward as well as split-second connection with various hardware devices and provides a simple-interactive user experience through cross platform design. Our team leads by example in user experience and moves away from the location-based use of a terminal, we also offer a wide variety of different functions.

 

How to measure User Experience?

Measurement of results provides important information on how successful the chosen (marketing) methods are and that creates new possibilities to save more money. To measure User Experience, the bounce rate of websites is a factor to take a closer look at. In case users find your website, you can be sure your marketing does well. However, if the interaction rate is low / or the Google Analytics bounce rate is more than 60 per cent in comparison then you should improve the User Experience.

But don’t only take a look at User Experience when you analyze the results because other factors have an impact as well. It’s possible that someone finds your website through keywords that don’t really represent your offer. Here it gets clear to figure out which causes lead to the given numbers or which reasons speak for an either good or bad execution of User Experience.

Article → Hardware and software: Differences and connections

 

Conclusion

User Experience: More than just a word in 2023. It dominates the competition between companies. Thanks to digitalization we are given the possibility to create more complex products and market them in many different ways which requires further explanation of their usage. Most businesses are aware of that and use qualified UX designers who build up your marketing step by step.

 

FAQ

Still some things unclear about User Experience? Following we will answer the most frequently asked questions regarding the topic of this article.

Why to think about usability and user experience?

User experience and usability help to make the interaction between businesses and their target groups easier. That promises advantages in competition as well as it will have a positive impact on the image of a company.

What is the difference between usability and user experience?

Usability only describes the process during the interaction with a product or service. User Experience on the other hand goes beyond that and targets the subjective experience during the complete interaction process with a product or service.

Article → What are use cases? Definition and examples

 

Pictures: © Canva.com