5 Reasons why User Experience is key to construction technology adoption

User experience design is a popular business buzzword right now — but what does it really mean? And how does it impact the way technology is adopted?

What is User Experience (UX)?

User Experience surrounds all the aspects of the end-user interaction with the company, its products and its services.

The focus of user experience design is to find the synergy between the business goals and user needs. In simple words, it is about how the user feels while using an application, website or software. It caters to the user with preferences, perceptions, emotions, feelings and much more.

A positive UX design enhances usability, accessibility and pleasure in the interaction with a website or app.

“User Experience Design” is often used interchangeably with terms such as “User Interface Design” and “Usability”. However, while usability and user interface (UI) design are important aspects of UX design, they are subsets of it – UX design covers a vast array of other areas, too.

A UX designer is concerned with the entire process of acquiring and integrating a product, including aspects of branding, design, usability and function. It is a story that begins before the device is even in the user’s hands.

Why focus on User Experience to ensure successful technology adoption:

1. To enhance customer satisfaction and improve ROI

When your app has an impressive design, it presents your customer with catchy content and easy navigation, making them satisfied with the services of your application.

A pleased customer tends to recommend your app to others within the team, which in turn leads to more advocates within your organisation who then accelerate the roll out and realisation of ROI.

2. To remove the training burden

Many users like to see familiar features, buttons, or call-to-action. Familiarity includes common symbols, icons, or colors, to convey a message such as red to exit or delete. Even if someone uses an interface for the first time, certain elements can be familiar.

Making an app familiar and intuitive avoids the requirement for a long time consuming training session and instead allows users to get started right away.

3. To improve product stickiness

Everyone has the experience of using an app with lots of bugs and errors, complexities, frustrating interactions and unexpected behaviors.

The truth is that, a poorly designed application reduces customer loyalty. Users won’t have a high tolerance for unstable applications and nothing can turn them away faster than a bad first impression. You may not be able to foster a lasting relationship with users.

On the contrary, a good user experience can create the kind of loyalty that keeps people coming back for more, increasing engagement. Giving users a reason to return by being engaging and useful is one of the ways to enhance UX and encourage member loyalty. This leaves a positive first impression on the user and gives them a sense of value for having downloaded your app.

4. To increase customer satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is one of the keys to successful software roll out.   The better experience you provide for your users, the more satisfied they will be – and the opposite is true. The worse experience you create for your users, the more frustrated they will become with your offering. They will rarely recommend your product to their friends and colleagues. The same applies to mobile applications.

If people do not like your app or do not use it, chances are users’ expectations aren’t being met or not enough value is being offered. So if you make an app that frustrates or annoys those, chances are your application will be deleted and get bad reviews.

The most common reason why users might abandon or delete an app is poor user experience. This includes heavy battery usage, slow responsiveness, too many clicks  and so forth. If an app can’t provide a positive first impression, it is probably going to frustrate users and it is likely going to be deleted or not adopted.

5. To reduce the support requirement

Having the right user experience makes it easier for users to get all the information about the product within the platform. If users are getting answers to all their queries on the website itself, they will not have to email or call you. This will lower your support cost and increase the usage.

A well-designed app can save both money and time.

Users regularly struggle with simple issues that solutions can easily be found on a well-designed app. Mobile applications give users a way to not only find solutions but to connect with the platform 24/7, irrespective of where they are. A connect support tool, such as Zendesk can offer direct personal calls with support teams, access to a help desk, live chat and even provide on-going best practise guidance to customers.

A well-thought-through mobile solution needs to conform to your overall digital strategy, offering a seamless and unmatched user experience. This means that the functionality and content that are delivered on your app must be in line with what your target audience actually wants.

Regardless of the function or purpose of your app, the end product must provide a superior quality user experience.

To find out how this works on site, watch our latest case study with Balfour Beatty.