Tough competition nowadays makes it difficult for companies to stand out from the rest of the market with a well thought-out product or service alone. Consumers have such a wide range of choices that they have to research for a while before making a purchase decision. During this phase, they compare various products, read ratings and test reports, and repeatedly check social media. It often takes weeks before they have finally decided on a product.
With a "good" product alone, it is therefore extremely difficult to a) attract customers and b) retain them in the long term. Rather, the overall experience with the brand or company, the so-called customer experience (CX), is becoming increasingly important today. It determines the longevity of the relationship between the consumer and the company and does not end with a purchase: in order to remain competitive, companies need to keep their existing customers interested and in a good mood after a purchase in order to motivate them to make repeat purchases.
What is UX and what is the difference between UX and CX?
User Experience (UX) translates to "user experience" and stands for the experience that a person has with a digital product. This can be a website, an app, a program or even a social media platform. Today, customers are almost always users - searching, "surfing" internet users with wishes, feelings and demands. The UX focuses on their experience at the technical point of contact: it is the experience that users have during their virtual visit, the interface between people and technology. The "human" entity is represented on the one hand by the customer and on the other by the company side.
The UX is therefore a sub-area of the customer experience (CX): the latter represents the general customer experience surrounding a company and its products - with a focus on a long-term customer relationship. If you want to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction, you need to know that every interaction counts: the call to customer service, every form of communication and advertising, the sending of the brand message, every sales and logistics process (product delivery and shipping). And - as life increasingly takes place on the web - also the UX, which can be improved through fairly clear measures.
A successful CX spans a wide variety of customer touchpoints. In the best case scenario, buyers and customers feel that they are addressed and served in the best possible way at all stages - starting with the first digital interaction, the beginning of the UX.
11 tips for a better UX
UX experts have the task of making digital processes run smoothly. They monitor individual and global customer satisfaction in relation to your client's digital offerings and also try to actively manage them, for example through marketing automation tools. Und you know: Today's customers expect 24/7 service, SMS/web chat functions, brand representation on all major social media channels, and often a mobile app. However, your own website remains one of the most important digital touchpoints. Ideally, this should have the following features:
- Fast loading times, very fast troubleshooting
- Logically structured, clear, simple navigation
- Attractive, uniform design (colors, fonts, logos)
- Simple, intuitive forms and input fields
- Visual relaxation, no large blocks of text
- Buttons, feedback options for users, option to report errors
- Immediately visible availability of support
- Relevant content, no "overload"
- Comprehensible language
- Accessibility
- Adaptability to individual user needs
In short: users want to reach their destination quickly, clearly, precisely and easily - for example, product information. They want to interact effectively, feel understood and also feel well looked after after making a purchase or receiving a service. This lays the foundation for a good CX.
Conclusion - why the UX is an important factor for the CX
Digitalization means we are spending more and more time online: We shop online, get advice, make doctor's appointments, etc. As a result, UX is becoming increasingly important within CX. User Experience and Customer Experience are therefore difficult to separate from one another, especially today. Nevertheless, CX is an umbrella term for all customer touchpoints with a company, while UX focuses on their digital interfaces. It is essential for companies to continue to expand both and to think in a more user-centric way. On the part of graphics and development, for example, this means recognizing problems before they arise, questioning brand strategy, observing trends and staying as technically up-to-date as possible.
