Why does every business need to focus on User Experience?

Picked up from the place of my choice, dropped off at the place of my choice. And I bounce out of the car like a celebrity. My ride feels like it was so smooth and free as there was neither cash exchanged nor credit card pulled out. The entire transaction was managed through a slick, pretty app on my mobile. What am I talking about?

Ola, Uber? Yes, but more importantly I am talking about the User Experience or UX.

In fact, UX has been the game-changer for players like Ola and Uber and other rides - share startups. How?

It differentiates them from traditional kali peelis and radio car companies; infact even auto-rickshaws.

You don’t have to wait for a rickshaw in the midst of rain or under the scorching sun. You can book your cab while you sip your morning coffee and step out the moment it arrives near your house. How convenient is that!

Inarguably, UX is revolutionising every business today. In fact, ‘User experience’ is fast becoming the defining and differentiating strategy of every business.

UX made its way into the real world in the late 1990s. That was the time when businesses gunning for market share discovered that a user-friendly web interface gave them an edge over their competitors. Today, UX is a fundamental business requirement.

In today’s marketplace, a business can become or remain a leader only if it prioritises and puts money behind creating an enhanced user experience that meets its consumers’ needs, and more importantly, their expectations.

Let’s look at another real-life example to understand why every business needs to focus on User Experience.

If you speak to any successful restaurateur, you will realise how much focus and investment they put into:

Making sure their employees provide their customers (users) an extraordinary dining experience.

Create an unforgettable user experience

Taking care of the ambiance of the interior

Grooming the host to greet customers well

Training the server to facilitate the dishes efficiently

Taking care of the tiniest bits like free mints and post-meal wet wipes.

It’s this experience that a customer looks forward to in addition to the core product (the meal). This pretty much makes or breaks a customer’s perception of the business. It also determines whether or not she will return and recommend her friends. Around 70% of restaurant customers regard user experience as their number one concern and complaint. It’s not just about the food anymore!

So if user experiences matter a great deal in real-world interactions, wouldn’t it in the digital realm too?

If you help a user complete a task much quicker and with ease as compared to your competition, that user will definitely choose you over others. Why? Because every user is in a hurry. If she gets what she wants in a jiffy, you have a loyal consumer.

Conclusion

When you put efforts into solving user problems, it conveys you care about your users. Enhancing user experience at every step of the way is the key. That’s how your business can gain an edge over its competitors in serving your customers effectively.