Did you know that technical issues are the number one reason people delete apps off their phones? That’s right! More than 90% of the downloaded apps are deleted after one use.
Similarly, 88% of users don’t return to a website after bad user experience.
This is why UX matters. These days users expect remarkable experiences every time they interact with an app, products, support, or a website and in case they don’t get it, you may never have a second chance with them.
So what’s a developer to do?
Well, for starters, it is essential to understand and use strategic UX best practices to ensure a stellar customer experience right from the start.
Did you know:
- More than 70 percent of small business websites do not use a call to action (CTA) button.
- Website visitors will stay 88% longer on web pages with videos.
- 40% of small businesses still don’t have a website.
Also, you need to make sure that you get the right hosting platform so that your website’s performance experience no lags.
Developers need to tap into the world of UX design to offer seamless experiences that keep the user loyal to their brand. For that, they need to be in tune with what the end-user wants and how they can code the interface to offer what’s expected of them.
In this guide, we will further describe how UX design is becoming increasingly important for developers to increase their customer satisfaction through enhanced usability.
What does UX have to do with software development, anyway?
Plenty, if you ask us!
UX design can help improve the way users interact with apps, devices, and websites. It analyzes the behavior of users to ensure that they get value from the digital experience.
It is surprising to see that 96% of customers have come across sites that were not mobile-optimized, and this is not ideal in any way. This issue can be remedied if software developers take UX into consideration at all stages of the software lifecycle.
Still not convinced?
Here are 7 excellent reasons why developers need to embrace UX design for good:
1. Good UX design inspires you to take a more user-centric approach
UX design offers insights into what your users want from the product that you are developing. In fact, it puts them at the center of the project design process.
This makes it vital to take a more user-centric approach when developing your next product by conducting user research and usability testing at each step of the development proves. This will allow you to use your prospective user’s thoughts to understand your project’s essential requirements.
Recently, we came across an app that required us to send an SMS for activation. This also meant firing up the browser and entering a code before we could use the app. Can you say cumbersome?
That, no doubt, must have taken quite a lot of programming, but the UX compelled us to uninstall that app stat.
Don’t be that developer. Instead, think of how the end-user will interact with your product and if they’ll find it easy to use.
Conduct thorough research and speak to your customers to learn more about their requirements. This way, you can address their needs and create the best user experiences, giving you an edge over your competitors.
2. UX helps make your products more popular
67% of mobile users are more likely to make a purchase if they like the user experience offered by the website.
Laying straightforward user journeys or designing the best experiences has another upside – they are more likely to buy from you and keep coming back for more.
Also, by maintaining excellent user experiences, retaining existing customers become easier. This gives you a competitive edge in the market and ensures an increase in the purchase of your products or services.
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3. Fewer errors and no wastage of resources
When you incorporate your user’s requirements in the development process of your product, it will considerably reduce the chances of coming across blunders later in the product journey.
Also, a basic understanding of UX design can help you to conduct usability and accessibility checks to find out what doesn’t work before you start building it. Prototyping can help you make sound development decisions and have more confidence in your abilities.
Additionally, keeping the UX design specifications in mind as you work can save a considerable amount of your development time. By creating mockups and prototypes, you can reduce the chances of errors so that you don’t have to waste time on them after the product is in the end stages of its life cycle.
This way, you can easily remain on track for the release date.
4. UX can play a role in better software architecture
Software performance and stability are the unsung heroes of UX design – and only a developer can achieve these goals.
When you can understand the terms and intricacies of UX, you get the bigger picture of why design is vital for creating a streamlined software framework.
By staying in tune with the user journey throughout the development process, you can understand the actual use of the software and prepare for any errors that may pop up unexpectedly.
For instance, user experience can take a massive hit if your website’s page load slowly. To ensure that your website does not experience any lags you need to select the suitable hosting platform as it has a considerable impact on the page loading time.
Even if you come across any mishap during the development process, UX design will offer more in-depth insights into these dilemmas so you can find ways to solve them.
This is how UX design helps you enhance the usability, accessibility, and the raw feel of the product to ensure complete user satisfaction.
5. Dabbling with UX can make you a superstar developer
Unfortunately, prioritizing the user and keeping their feelings in check is not taught in coding courses.
But here’s the deal: the demand for software developers is growing by 22% every year until 2029. And while there are more jobs than before, there are also more developers vying for them.
Being an all-rounder developer with a special interest in user experience design will set you apart from the competition.
Many recruiters are on the lookout for a candidate who can assess what the user wants so that they can align their project goals with the customer’s requirements.
So, if you want to expand your career horizons as a developer, you need to get a basic understanding of UX design so that you can increase your chances of landing the dream job.
6. Automation can push you out the job market
UX design is also a highly sought after skill, and this has increased the demand of UX designers across the globe. Also, more and more businesses are now emphasizing the role of UX designers and they are making them the company’s top priority.
With the rise of AI, many jobs are in danger of automation and losing the human touch, completely. But when it comes to UX design, both automation and employees can work together to make the development process more efficient.
Several skills just can’t be performed by machines. This includes user empathy that stands at the center of UX design.
Seamless communication among the development teams is another skill that cannot be performed by AI as it lacks the human touch. But incorporating AI in communication software can enhance the process.
7. Your product gets to experience higher-than-ever ROI
A good UX impacts the user satisfaction ratings and in turn, generates a higher ROI for the long term. Since the user makes an impression of your product on their first interaction, it is important to ensure good user experience.
The better your UX design, the more your customers are likely to engage with your brand and stay loyal. It also ensures that they will recommend the product to others in their circle.
If developers don’t understand the basics of UX, they may end up overlooking or ignore small details that can make a significant impact on the UI.
For instance, a homepage with a cluttered layout will get in the way of your users while they are trying to accomplish a task or buy a product. No matter how convincing your content is, if a user finds it difficult to navigate the homepage then you have failed to offer a good UX design.
This can sabotage the user experiences and made products more difficult to use and may even slow down the completion of the work.
Additionally, going all-in on UX design can not only reduce errors and costs but also increase sales. Research shows that companies that invest in good UX design can boost sales by 30% at least.
And UX design is a fun part of development too!
Developers are more likely to systemize processes, rather than empathize with the people who experience them. They are logical, while designers are creative and flexible.
Together, they can come up with products that are great to look at and perform wonderfully as well.
Remember, the product design and development processes aren’t as linear as they used to be – these roles aren’t mutually exclusive of each other. This makes it imperative for both developers and designers to work cohesively instead of isolating themselves in their allotted designations.
It’s time to improve the teamwork between these two interdisciplinary roles and start key conversations that can have a positive impact on the productivity of all stakeholders. Developers would really be doing themselves a favor by trying to see things through design ‘specs’. Master this skill, and you can take advantage of a new perspective as you continue to deliver amazing apps and products. ?
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