What’s the main thing that every business leader actually wants? The answer is growth. And when you break it down, growth means more customers, more loyalty, and more people trusting your brand. But despite wanting all this, there’s one thing that’s often overlooked – user experience. And that’s a shame because it’s one of the easiest but also most impressive ways to achieve growth.
The fact is, user experience, or UX, isn’t just about websites and apps – it’s about how people feel when they interact with your business online, in person, or through any product or services you offer. In other words, it’s the whole journey, from the first impression to the final interaction (which ideally includes making a purchase). And when that journey is easy, intuitive, and enjoyable, people are going to remember it, and if it’s not easy, they’ll leave. With that in mind, here are some reasons why UX should be an essential part of every business strategy.
What UX Really Means
One issue is that UX can be mistaken for design, and it’s not quite the same thing – it’s actually much broader because it’s not just about how something looks, but about how it works too. So it’s about making things easy, logical, and positive for the person using them.
Think about your own experiences – when you can’t find what you’re looking for on a website, or when a checkout form keeps glitching, you don’t think about asking what the issue is, you just leave because it’s frustrating. But a good user experience means none of that’s a problem – the tech is invisible and users get whatever it is they want without frustrations, whether that’s booking an appointment, finding a product, or anything else. Essentially UX is the bridge between what people want and what your business can give them.
Why Leaders Need To Care About UX
For business leaders, UX isn’t actually a technical thing (although it does tend to be technical in nature a lot of the time) and it’s really all about business. After all, every decision you make that makes it easier for customers is going to increase trust and loyalty, and every frustrating process, on the other hand, damages it.
Business is massively competitive, and it could be that the difference between you and your competitor just comes down to the experience you offer. Your products might be similar, your prices might even be the same, but if you’re giving them a smoother, better, more enjoyable customer journey, that’s what’s going to win out. So a leader who pays attention to UX and takes it seriously is letting their customers know that they care about them too.
The Business Impact Of Good UX
The good news is, it’s possible to measure the results of any UX you put in place, which means you really can see the growth that comes from it in a tangible way. Some of the things you’ll find happen include:
- Higher conversion rates – when customers can find what they want more easily, they’re more likely to buy something or get in touch with a question.
- Lower support costs – clear, intuitive design means you’ll get fewer complaints, fewer errors, and there’s going to be less time spent on fixing issues and troubleshooting.
- Stronger customer loyalty – if using your service feels effortless (or at least close to it), people are going to come back, and they’ll also recommend you to others.
- Better employee efficiency – a well-designed internal system (because UX has to start from the inside out) saves your team from having to take any unnecessary steps and it will also reduce confusion, so productivity and morale will go up.
The Human Side Of Technology
There’s always a danger that too much tech might take away from the human element, and when it comes to UX, humanity plays a big role, so it pays to be careful. Customers definitely want a smooth, intuitive experience, but it also needs to have warmth and empathy included in some way, even if it’s just down to how the design actually works.
Leaders can sometimes assume UX is something their tech or marketing team can just get on with, but in reality, it actually needs to start at the top because the best UX comes from understanding what your audience wants and making sure your systems, processes, and design matches.
If you don’t know where to start, it’s often better to outsource UX design to professionals who live and breathe it. They’ll bring a fresh perspective that comes from research and experience, as well as plenty of testing, and that helps uncover problems your internal team might not even notice.
How Poor UX Costs More Than You Think
Unfortunately, ignoring UX can be expensive, and not just in lost sales (although that’s definitely part of it). The fact is that poorly designed systems are a complete waste of time, and they’ll frustrate employees who have to sort out the mess they leave behind. In fact, you’ll probably be creating a load more inefficiencies across all departments rather than fixing the ones you already had.
If customers struggle to complete forms, staff have to deal with more follow-ups, and if internal systems are clunky, tasks take longer, and that leads to burnout or at least mistakes. The full cost of bad experience spreads through the business until it becomes part of everyday frustration. But leaders who do invest in UX design are investing in clarity, efficiency, and long-term value, so it’s well worth doing.
Final Thoughts
The reality is that in business, every interaction is an experience, and every form, page, call, and message gives people the information they need to see your brand – positively or negatively. So you can spend thousands on advertising, but if your user experience isn’t any good, it’s not going to matter because people remember how easy (or how frustrating) you made things for them. If they feel understood, they stay, if they don’t, they won’t, and it’s really as simple as that.
