Product Design

What Is Your UX?

The Term UX might feel odd to some business owners.  When we build a mobile app or a website we talk about the UI being the user interface and the UX being the user experience.  I am amazed at how many businesses overlook this when it comes to the business itself.

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Feb 24, 2022
Mobile and More

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Web Design
Mobile Design
Branding
UI
UX

The UX or user experience isn’t just about your website and mobile app or even online ads.  It really extends to every interaction your customer has with your business.

While most of the time we design the UI/UX for your website and mobile app, sometimes businesses forget about the UX for the business itself.  

Good design doesn’t stop at the website.  Sometimes we need to design events, plan events, and we look at everything down to how the customer pays.  What is the UX from the time they walk in until the time they walk out?  There is no survey that will give you that answer, only your customers will.

Rarely do we have a problem with the UI of a business.  There is one restaurant makeover that was truly shocking some years ago.  As predicted by most, the new theme put it out of business.  The new owner changed 90% of the place back to how it was.  The owner that did the big theme change didn’t understand the customer or the UX they were looking for.

Surveys and Automation

One of the dangers with over automating a business is that you lose contact with your customers.  An entirely new opportunity is opening up for businesses that focus on the customer experience.  What is it that your customer expects, and then what do they think they get?

Today, social media is where you might find the most honest answers about how your customers feel after they leave your business. That is the feedback you need about your UX.  But what if they just leave?  That happens.  When it does, you need a way to ethically bribe your customers for their thoughts.  Sadly a penny won’t cut it any more

People Like Comfort

Many years ago a pizza chain came to us for some marketing help.  It turned out there was a much bigger issue.  The UX of the restaurant changed every day.  No one knew what to expect.  If your pizza place was called “Crazy Days” Pizza maybe you could get away with it.

One of the businesses we are building because of that experience is a pizza based restaurant.  Instead of having every day be totally different, customers expect something they know and are comfortable with.  No one takes important people to a place they have never been and know nothing about.  If your restaurant has hard rock music one day and jazz another, how do customers know who to bring and how to set their own group get together up for success.

When a “Sale” isn’t a sale.

Another thing we have learned over the years working with many different kinds of companies is that words matter.  If you send out a flyer that your are having a gourmet pizza night, and people show up to find the same old pepperoni at the regular price, what kind of experience is that?

Just like mapping out a UI and UX for your website, every business needs to map out a UI and a UX for the actual business.  Most are great at the UI, it is the UX that runs them out of business.

If you aren’t sure about your UX, give us a call, we might be able to help.

Scott Bourquin

Scott Bourquin is the founder of the Bourquin Group, and has been helping businesses design a better user experience since 1990 when he finished his degree in Business IRM at San Jose State.

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