The term user experience, or UX for short, describes the experience a user has when dealing with software, a website, or special content. This experience is determined by the questions of usefulness, aesthetics, and stability. The interaction of all aspects provides information on the extent to which the application is emotionally and cognitively pleasant for the user.
The question of the user experience (UX) and the determination of customer feedback serves to optimize and develop applications. The developers behind a piece of software or a piece of content have to ask themselves the question at which strategic point adjustments have to be made in order to achieve the desired effect. Supporting marketing with an optimized user experience makes sense; the UX always serves the communication goals such as branding as well as the company goals, for example, increased lead generation. If the application is pleasant for the user, this will manifest itself in a stronger interaction between the user and the offer – an effect that increases the likelihood of purchase.
User Experience Marketing As A Framework For The Content Marketing Funnel
The user experience must make it easy for the user to interact with what a company has to offer. Here the company has an obligation to design the information architecture and the content in an attractive manner. With cognitive added value and an emotionally appealing design, calls to action are welcomed by the user, and commercial offers are gladly accepted. A target group analysis forms the basis for the conception of effective UX marketing. If companies know who the target group is, all content can be optimized with the help of orientation to their needs. Important factors for the conception of the user experience:
- Content must be designed for the relevant touchpoints of the target group.
- The formats and the approach are defined by the medium (touchpoint).
- Regardless of which medium is used, there are general principles that, when applied, make each content easily comprehensible and attractive for the recipient.
- The added value and benefit must always be in the foreground.
- The visual design must be based on the one hand on the aesthetics of the target group and, on the other hand, make the content easy to consume.
- The address is always linked to a need of the target group.
- The address is followed by an informative or entertaining added value, which responds emotionally or factually to the needs of the target group.
- The user experience must highlight the decisive unique selling points of the commercial offer.
- Call-to-actions are subtly placed at the right place, giving the user the opportunity to react to the added value and make a decision – be it registering for a newsletter, downloading a whitepaper, or making a purchase.
- It should be made as easy and attractive as possible for the user to stay in contact, leave their contact details and participate interactively in communication – for example, through comments, likes, or shares on social media. In addition, targeted incentives should be given to returning to the company’s media.
The User Experience Aims To Increase Sales.
In order to strengthen marketing with a high-quality user experience, targeted optimizations must be made. The UX design is decisive for how long a user stays on a website, how he uses software or app, and what he does after receiving content. The UX design has a significant influence on brand perception, recommendation, and ultimately also on purchasing behavior. In addition to actively supporting the brand awareness of a user and within a community, the user experience serves economic goals: If the target group builds trust and a “joy of use” towards a brand, they are also ready to take advantage of its commercial offer. Therefore, usability is an essential success factor in UX marketing. The way from the initial interest to the purchase thus takes place within the framework of a user experience that makes it easy for the user to combine their own needs with the offer on a medium and to build trust in the brand.
Also Read : What Is Branded Content, Its Goals, And Functions?
User Experience Example
The user experience already begins with the search results on Google: User Thomas has had a persistent urge to cough for a week. He doesn’t feel sick, but he doesn’t know what might have caused the stimulus either. He wants to get rid of the stimulus quickly and enters the search term “suppress coughing.” Among the first ten results, he finds a heading that appeals to him: “Quick and easy: The seven most effective cough remedies.” In the descriptive meta-text under the heading, he reads: “Use these seven simple means to suppress the urge to cough: Good and inexpensive medication that can be found in every household.”
Thomas clicks on the result and lands on a website with an article that introduces the seven announced remedies. Thomas can find his way around the site quickly: Headings, subheadings, paragraphs, bullet points, and large pictures make the article readable and attractive. There is a large photo and a meaningful heading for each remedy. He doesn’t even have to read the entire article to find out what can help him.
In one of the paragraphs, he finds an interesting link on the subject of alternative medicine. He clicks on it and is redirected to a new section on the website. He discovers an overview of advice articles, travelogues, and reports, all of which deal with alternative, partly spiritual medicine. Thomas’ interest is piqued. He looks to see which other sections are offered in the health magazine. He finds the navigation to be very easy. The colors have a calming effect on him. The layout of the page is very clear – not too colorful, instead minimalist. In the sidebar, he discovered the offer for a newsletter on the subject of preventive medicine, trends, and wellness. He is convinced of the magazine and would like to receive the newsletter. He logs in.
In the first newsletter that Thomas receives, there is a discount voucher for detox tea products. He can redeem the voucher in an online pharmacy. On the product page, there is also a link to a travel report on the health magazine, in which a journalist talks about his experiences in Peru and the special coca tea. Incidentally, Thomas can also buy it in the online shop. The order goes very quickly, and reviews and testimonials from other users about the products create trust. Thomas feels fully informed and has the feeling that he has bought something special for little money.
Also Read : Digital Branding: How Companies And Their Brands Become An Authority On The Web
The Importance Of User Experience For SEO
If the user experience marketing can successfully address the target group, they will be happy to stay on the website for a long time. The user behavior will not only serve the achievement of the company’s goals but will also be weighted positively by Google – a fact that is expressed by a better ranking in the search results. A user-friendly design always means an SEO-friendly design. Above all, the added value in terms of content must be in the foreground. Content that is easy to grasp for the reader due to the content structure and page structure is also better indexed by the Googlebot.