A customer-driven UX design is one of the most crucial aspects of businesses today. User experience is at the forefront of customer experience. Before we come to a conscious decision regarding whether or not we like a new website design or product design, our subconscious mind reaches a conclusion. The visual elements leave an immediate impression on our minds creating a long-lasting and often irreversible opinion.
For small businesses, this poses a pressing challenge. Big businesses can choose to spend on user experience strategies and design along with the development, sales, and marketing investments. But that is not the case for small businesses. Often, they have a strict budget. So focusing on UX design and marketing takes a lower priority over quality product development. But, UX design has huge potential. So that got me thinking, are there any UX strategies that small businesses can carry out effectively. And I have come up with some do's and don'ts, so let's see what they are!
A little research goes a long way
Just the term UX research puts off many clients. While some don't see the need, some think it is an unwanted expense, and some say we can just guess what the user would want. But, UX research is an important part of creating a good user experience. There is only so much you can do with guessworks. Research gives you real, solid data on which you can work. As a result, the output satisfies users and meets their needs.
Small businesses can choose UX research methods that wouldn't cost a lot of money. Like, online surveys, user interviews via phone, discussions with few chosen target users, etc. In the end, even a little research can give quality insights.
Perform heuristic evaluation
The world leaders in research-based user experience, Nielsen Norman Group, have defined ten interaction design principles. Heuristic evaluation is based on these ten guidelines. The guidelines address the ten principles, which are: visibility, intuitive experience, user control, consistency, error prevention, familiarity, flexibility, aesthetics, error recognition, and help and documentation.
For small businesses that cannot perform a UX design audit or hire a UX consultant, performing this heuristic evaluation themselves can help recognize and alleviate many issues. It helps to tackle the basic problem areas, hence is a beneficial strategy.
Get inspired from big businesses
Big businesses will be investing a lot in UX design and will be carrying out many strategies. As a small business, you might not be able to follow exactly what they do, but you can always get inspired by their operations and learn from them. So take a look at what the niche giants are doing, how it is working out for them, which of their features strikes you best, etc.
Spend time reviewing their designs and get inspired. You will be able to find things that you can integrate into your design, even if not at such a grander scale. It will also help you create a good brand image, in line with the best in the field.
Do not skip usability testing
Research shows that usability testing can help to eliminate 85% of UX related problems. Considering how the feedback from users can provide transformational inputs in UX design, the importance of usability testing is worth mentioning. Small businesses don't have to walk away from it because usability testing doesn't have to be very extensive. You can just choose five users to conduct the test, and just that would give you enough feedback.
To do usability testing, you need to create some specific tasks and set a goal for each of those tasks. Then, you let the users perform the tasks and observe their actions and behaviour. You must also take note of the time they take to complete tasks, the ways they choose, and the pain points they face. It will help you improve the user experience.
Prioritize your tasks
A great challenge small businesses face is that they tend to get confused by client feedback. Some clients may actively raise concerns and demand a change in the business's working or development. In such cases, it is important to remember your priorities and make decisions based on collective opinion.
Sure, every client has the right to express their opinions, but as a business, you shouldn't go with a decision right away to satisfy an individual concern. Rather, you should think about the wider audience, their needs, and your business vision. Prioritizing people, tasks, time, and the cost is necessary for a small business to function smoothly.
At the core, UX design is about creating a connection with people. It doesn't always need huge investments or a team of strategists. Even within the limited resources you have, you can develop a design that will relate to your audience. You might need to put in a little extra effort, but being a small business should never be a reason for you to ignore user experience design!