by Sharan NairEstimated reading time: 3 minute(s)
An experience which is more than the sum of its parts
“A good user experience, like measurable ROI, doesn’t typically happen by accident. It is the result of careful planning, analysis, investment, and continuous improvement.”
– Jeff Horvath, VP – UX Strategy, Human Factors International.
With any establishment, there is an inherent need to clearly define the gains that you hope to achieve from any given UX (user experience) effort. With this comes the provision of a framework for the process to be repeated over time, in a manner that suggests that the value of user experience can be compounded in a reasonable amount of time, without any signs of the mistakes that may have trespassed in the past.
Having said that, mobile users and mobile usage, it has to be said, are growing exponentially, with an increasing number of people accomplishing more via mobile. The inclination now leans towards being able to continually improve the individual elements that come together to create the ultimate mobile experience.
Continual Monitoring
Crucial to increasing user engagement, retaining users, converting them, and essentially monetizing them, is the ongoing process that is the monitoring and analysis of the user experience from day one. With this necessity comes the discovery of formidable visual analytical tools that transcend the traditional methods in analyzing the desktop user experience.
Then comes the need to know the rationale behind user behaviour, and there is software out there that helps monitor how visitors are patronizing the site via the use of user session recordings and eye-tracking heat maps that analyze site usability. The constraints of user interface i.e screen size, operating systems, and user connectivity all give rise to mobile app developers and publishers being able to plunge into the realm of user experience and see it through the user’s eyes.
Visual In-App Analytics
Key to streamlining the optimization process is, like the aforementioned, understanding how users interact with your app almost as if you were using the app with their eyes instead. The key tools that will aid in this:
Heatmaps
This nifty little feature helps when it comes to deducing why certain CTAs (Call-to-Action) do not respond when a user goes on a trail of a specific sequence of actions, which then reveals that the anomaly is due to a misplaced CTA which is continually causing users to add to the app bounce rate. With the visual aid of heatmaps, it is then possible to formulate a plan of action to get the problem rectified in time, especially when it concerns something as critical as a campaign that is dependant on engagement.
User Recordings
The journey that a user takes from the home screen to wherever his intended/unintended destination is on the app can be detailed via user recordings, which take note of all the actions that one performs within the app. This allows analysts to swoop on trigger points within the app that help make most of the decisions for the users, i.e a catchy image that led to more conversions on a particular page.
Real-time visual reporting
They say information is more often than not digested with visual aids as compared to wordy or aural reports. With visual reporting, app owners will be able to obtain insights into user behaviour in a succinct manner, which also allows for management to connect the dots a lot quicker when it comes to app optimization, and improving the usability and dealing with the expectations of your users.
Mobile User Experience.
is still a meteorically developing field, which begs the need for continual monitoring and optimization, because that is where opportunities burgeon from. Creating delightful platforms for users to continually visit is complicated in part due to the mobile-specific considerations that need to be made, but coming up with a user-centred approach is key to shaping the ultimate mobile experience in our eyes.
Photo: vizteck.com