What is experience design, and how can it help my business?
By: Tess Arthur
Tags: User Experience, Small Business Marketing, User Experience Design, UX, Entrepreneurship

Why you should leverage the power of experience design for your business — no matter the size.

Illustrated computer & mobile device with wireframes on the screen. Text: How can UX design help my small business?

Have you heard the term user experience design everywhere lately? If you’re like most people, you’re wondering if it’s something you need to keep up with your competition. The short answer is YES. User experience is a critical component of making customers happy with your goods and services, both online and offline.

So what is UX Design?

User experience design is a methodology of design that improves the accessibility and usability of a product through research, testing, and development. It is the study of how users interact with things. Using this design approach, one can create a product with more relevant and meaningful experiences, thus enhancing the customer’s satisfaction.

Whether being applied to a website, software, mobile app, or any service — the objective of experience design is to create a comfortable and enjoyable experience for the end-user.

That’s great, but why is UX Design important to my business?

Someone’s experience with your company starts miles before a purchase. It begins with their very first interaction with you — whether that be via Facebook ads, a mention in traditional media, or visiting your website. These elements of your brand communicate to potential customers whether your company knows what it’s doing or not — which is why user experience design is an essential marketing tool.

Users take about 0.05 seconds to form their opinion about a website (after it loads). (Source) When visiting a website, users decide in 10 seconds or less whether they trust your company, based on the design of your website. (Source)

The design of your brand and customer experience will influence whether a customer eventually purchases with you, and will determine whether they end up a return customer. The increased satisfaction generated through UX design means that your company will attract and retain more clients, sell more products, and keep the edge up on your competition.

88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience. (Source)

Users’ expectations for great experiences are on the rise. Solving people’s problems and meeting their needs is the bread and butter of your small business. Your website or app should do the same. Figuring out how to meet those needs means understanding your customer’s problems, and the only way to do this effectively is to talk to them directly.

Still not convinced?

I’ll keep it simple with this statistic. In 10 years, a $10,000 investment in design-centric companies would have yielded returns 228% greater than the same investment in the S&P (Source). Design is an investment that pays off — big time.

What’s next?

Over time, our brand and our website become an integral part of our identity, and it can sometimes be scary to think about making a change. However, keep in mind the natural entropy of the online world. What was new and exciting 2–3 years ago is now primitive and outdated.

Google processes over 6.7 billion searches per day (Source). Your audience wants a seamless experience, and if they don’t find it with you, they will find it somewhere else.

Take a moment to step back and look at your website or your product. Think about how you could improve your user’s experience and make it clear what you want them to do.

Want some expert eyes on it? Let me know how I can help you improve your user experience and start increasing conversions for your business.