Global pandemics have further accelerated the need for quality digital products that users love and return to. This is the saving grace of UX research. But how can it level-up your marketing?
We will cover everything you need to know in this article.
What can UX research do?
UX stands for the experience a user has with a product or service, such as how satisfied the person is with a particular commodity. In short, UX deals with emotions, whose influence is determined by the movements of the user on the website. This provides key knowledge for successful online sales of any type of product or service.
Research systematically studies end-users and their requirements to gain knowledge and context. Afterwards, it uses this knowledge to design the optimal solution for website improvement.
Quality UX research is one of the basic pillars in creating a new product, as well as in upgrading an existing one.
UX research and marketing combined
But how can insight into users’ minds help us with marketing?
The answer is not that complicated. Both of these fields should ultimately help companies with sales.
If we were to greatly simplify them, UX research could help in the creation of products that customers would love to use, and marketing in it’s turn would help people learn about that particular product and persuade them to buy it. With a fine-tuned UX, when a website is simple and intuitive, the marketing department can start building campaigns on a solid foundation by making sure potential customers won’t run away just because they can’t find the “Add to cart” button.
In addition to the mentioned areas, a well-tuned UX is important for the website as well. In its Core Web Vitals, Google evaluates the UX of pages, which becomes an important factor that affects whether your page appears in a search or not, as well as in which position.
How can UX research level-up your marketing?
Let’s be honest for a moment — the whole point of marketing is to sell. This can be achieved by multiple forms of advertising, outreach to potential customers, or hundreds of other imaginable ways.
First, however, you have to sell things on a platform that works.
It’s been proven that brick and mortar stores work well because you can touch, feel, and interact with the product you are about to buy. E-shops, unfortunately, are “robbed“ of this opportunity, but they do have one great advantage: you don’t have to go anywhere, and everything is hassle-free and easy to operate. You find the desired product, click “buy” and that’s all there is to it.
UX research aims to improve your marketing through optimal navigation and an intuitive interface. When you like the website, when it’s aesthetically pleasing and easy to use, there is a greater likelihood that you will buy from it.
A good example like the one below should help.
Let’s say that you are an electronics store. A customer is trying to find a perfect web camera for their Zoom meetings and they have one in mind that would be perfect, however, it is currently out of stock. The customer leaves disappointed because they had really hoped you could satisfy their needs.
If you had a “similar products“ menu, they would have been able to look for comparable cameras and might have found one that met their standards and bought from you.
UX research can tell you what customers expect, where they expect it, what would help them in browsing, and what you could do better. There is always room for improvement, so don’t hesitate to use it.
Why should you prioritize UX research as a marketer?
Elementary, my dear Watson!
You may have the best design, beautiful menus, everything masterfully crafted to the point of exceptional gratitude.
But how can people buy something they cannot find, on a website that is structured like a strawman, with no way of finding the damn “Add to cart“ button?
As they say:
“Everybody gangsta till’ Crocs are in the outdoor shoe section.“
Effects of good UX research
1. Increased number of customers
If you have a well-designed website with an expertly functioning UX, you may rejoice. Pair that up with good reviews and good words shared among the friends and family of customers, and your business can grow faster than ever.
2. Lower abandonment rates
You know it well. You have decided to buy something from a website, and for the most part it’s pretty smooth sailing, but the check-out process is so frustrating that you simply leave rather than continue.
UX research helps to make sure that your website doesn’t let you down in the crucial moment.
3. Brand growth
If you like a brand and you feel comfortable with it, as well as what it offers you, you naturally stick with it. People like to spread the word of a good business that helps them in any shape or form.
4. Sales rising
If you make it easy for clients or customers to use your website comfortably, they will buy more. Amazon is a great example. They started as a no-name company and now look what they have become. Jeff Bezos is flying to orbit with just the buying power of humanity.
Their system is so easy to use that it’s no surprise that they managed to do it. With a few clicks (or a few sentences — thanks, Alexa), you can buy groceries without ever leaving your warm and cozy bed.
Hold your horses, cowboy. You may not be seeing Bezos’s level of growth right now, but who wants to go to space anyways? Besides, it’s cold and dark up there. You can go to your basement, take a laptop with Google Earth and pretty much get the same results without burning billions of dollars in rocket fuel. But a nice vacation in Hawaii might be enough at first.
Ready to incorporate UX research into your marketing strategy?
We have given you everything we know about the importance of good UX, now go and help your website become the best version of itself. And a great UX research tool might help. Create a free account at UXtweak and start fine-tunning your UX today!
