Why a Great UX Means More Customers

Want to convert more customers? Here are 5 reasons why a better UX can help you do it.

A user’s experience of your software is one of the most significant factors impacting your conversion rates. A great UX sounds simple enough: a slick, easy experience where the user found what they wanted with as few clicks as possible. We all know that if a user has to stumble around looking for the information they want, they end up frustrated and will swap your product for something more straightforward. Why then, do so many software products have a poor UX?

Converting customers will always be a goal for SaaS businesses; sustainable, continual growth is the name of game. Read on to find out why UX improvements should be the first port of call for SaaS firms looking to boost customer conversions.

1. Speed

How long would you wait for a new browser webpage to load before becoming impatient, or giving up entirely? It’s no different when navigating software. Many people are surprised to learn that speed is a key tenet of UX, but it’s natural when realizing that a user will never experience all the great features your product has if they can’t get past the load screen. 

Research shows that 40% of customers won’t wait longer than 3 seconds for loading on a computer, rising to 53% for mobile users. If your product takes longer than that, any free trials you offer will have been wasted; customers won’t pay for a premium version of the software that doesn’t respond how they expect it to. 

2. First Impressions

It stands to reasons that your software has to look really good if it is to stand a chance of making a warm prospect convert to a paying customer. 

In the real world, it takes us humans around 0.1 seconds to form a first impression of another person. In the digital world, users will give your software around 0.05 seconds – or 50 milliseconds – before doing the same. It stands to reasons that your software has to look really good if it is to stand a chance of making a warm prospect convert to a paying customer. 

Once you’ve sorted the speed issue, which has a powerful influence on first impressions, your colour scheme, layout, design, font size and style, spacing, and even scrolling abilities will all be assessed in that tiny window of time. Ensuring that your software looks amazing and works even better is the only way to conquer the first impression challenge.

3. Naviagtion

If your users are confused or frustrated with your navigation, they’ll have a similar reaction to facing slow speeds and switch to something easier to use. However, as well as delivering a making or breaking the general experience, navigation has a crucial part to play in converting customers too.

UX-friendly navigation serves the dual purpose of funnelling users to where they want to be but can also highlight the messaging and services you want to promote. Reinforcing conversion CTAs at the end of pages with the highest traffic is a simple approach, but the general principle is the same whatever more technical method is applied – a well-designed navigation and information hierarchy can benefit your product just as much as it benefits the user. 

4. Debugging

Fully understanding and controlling the journey your users take while engaging with your product means understanding every touchpoint they come across. If a data input feature is broken, for example, or your UX analytics aren’t what they could be, you may be missing valuable opportunities to capture data which could help turn warm leads into paying customers. 

Good SaaS housekeeping should come as standard since over time code can break, features are forgotten about, and updates can be postponed for one reason or another. It’s an easy trap to fall into, but regular UX assessments can really be the difference between no customers and lots of them. As well as proving that you take customer service seriously and represent a solid investment for your customers, it’s also good business to make sure a revenue-generating product is in tiptop shape. 

5. Perspective

Thoroughly examining your software’s UX invites you to step out of your own shoes and into those of your customer, and it’s amazing what insights you can find when you do. UX analysis can be virtually as illuminating as customer feedback – people’s interactions with your product are telling you exactly how to improve their experience, and thus encourage conversions. 

Testing your software through a customer’s eyes can shine a light on everything from functionality that could be better, to missing features, or even a feature-heavy area that would benefit from being stripped back. Understanding is the first step to improvement, and for more conversions to become a reality, it’s critical to know what is stopping customers from reaching for their wallets in the first place. 

As UX specialists, it’s our mission here at Seedboost to help you solve the problems that are holding your software back from reaching its full potential for ROI. If any of the points we’ve raised sound a bit close to home, or if you’d like some general advice about the world of SaaS, why not take advantage of our free consultation service?