Depending upon the products or services you offer, your software and equipment may be used on many different devices, from mobile devices to the latest in computer hardware to the old family computer. You may have users with vast technical knowledge, and some who are just struggling to figure out how to press buttons on their phone. The point is, you have to plan around several user types when creating solutions for your business.
Any and all of these types of end users could potentially make up your target market and you want them to have a positive user experience so they’ll continue to purchase your product and recommend your brand. How do you go about doing that?
We recommend focusing on the various user types especially during the design and testing phase. It’s important to consider why all the potential users in your target market may download your software or app on their device and how each of them may use it. Definite risks arise if you do not give great care to the customer experience, including the customer care and support aspect of their buyer journey.
Around 95% of users who have a bad experience with products tell someone about it, according to research on customer service. People who have a bad experience are about 50% more likely to share their troubles than people who had a good experience. It is up to your company to make sure that customers on mobile, desktops, in apps, and on social have a consistently positive experience, regardless of the platform they're using. This helps encourage users away from posting a negative review or telling their networks about supposed problems with your company. Accessibility and a pleasurable journey with your brand regardless of an individual user's skill set remains a crucial component to doing this well. It's important to note that educating every member of your staff on your customer service philosophy will solidify the consistency you strive for in winning users' favor. When customers visit your business or call technical support, they should have good things to say about their interactions with any and all team members.
Consider Disney as an example. Disney goes to great lengths to train every staff member on the customer service experience: Their main goal is to make sure every part of the experience remains magical for adults and children alike. Visitors to the park never see cast members walking through the wrong lands—every cast member stays in character all the time. Disney works hard to help ensure there’s never a long wait for transportation and the park is always clean so the magic is never spoiled. This helps Disney remain a family-favorite destination to visit, and millions of visitors from across the globe come to interact with the Disney brand because of its commitment to top customer service. Imagine being the Magical Kingdom of your own industry because of how great your customers' experience is...
Your app users are in the best position to know what can make the app more valuable. Have you provided an opportunity to receive feedback that could allow you to make changes that boost user engagement with the app? Have steps been taken to make improvements based on the feedback you receive? If your app isn’t continually improving, it could become dull and outdated and you may no longer get the ROI you’ve been hoping for. Consistently seeking feedback and constructive criticism also serves as a great way to nurture engagement with your users. (Disney does this, too!)
Are you sensing a theme? By now you realize how vital it is that you don’t just make the user experience a job for some departments or some staff members. When you embrace the philosophy that every staff member is coached on providing a consistently positive experience, you will reap the rewards of maintaining and gaining customers. Consider what product users would want when working with your company and focus on every phase of design, implementation, and sales in how you can provide the type of experience you’d like to have if you were a customer.
To be able to provide a great user experience to every type of customer you may have, you need to make sure you have the right team working for you that puts the buyer journey first. Contact Technology Partners for help with developing software that caters to your end users.