By Design: How UI/UX Design interface Influences Consumer Behaviour
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Seeing is believing. Beyond focusing on product features, quality specifications, speed and informational content, business enterprises would do well to also consider the User interface (UI)/User Experience (UX) design interface of their websites and mobile applications. Recent studies indicate that site design, especially the look, feel, and functionality, plays a critical role in influencing customer purchase decisions, product perception, and even brand credibility.
1. UI/UX design: Know the differences
According to a study by NelsonHall, the market size of the global UI and UX industry was $5308 million in 2019, with an expected CAGR of 15.4% to touch $10956 million by 2022. UI and UX though closely interlinked have subtle differences. While UI is connected to the look or the appearance aspects, UX deals with the feel and the experience.
(i) UI design: UI emphasizes how interactive the website or mobile app is for the consumer and the presentation aspect. For example, each screen, webpage, banners, sign-up forms, and images that impact the visual parameters would fall into the UI domain.
(ii) UX design: On the other hand, UX is concerned with the overall experience from the perspective of the end consumer. This includes ease of navigation, speed of responses, convenient access to product categories or website pages during the interaction, the flow and structure of the website, suited to the target audience.
A PwC study opines that it’s imperative for the UI/UX designer to understand the business context and ask the right questions at the product ideation stage.
An Avendus report (2017) summarizes the branches in UI/UX design:
2. What constitutes UI/UX design?
Broadly the following are the elements of UI/UX design:
(i) Information Architecture (IA): This includes aligning the website information framework with the business objectives. This is concerned with ensuring smooth navigation across browsers and devices – mobile, desktop, etc.
(ii) Interaction: All interactions that the consumer or end-user undergoes with the website or the mobile application falls in this category. This includes graphic images, audio, space, colour, font, etc.
(iii) Usability test: It is important that the website is easy to use, even to a first-time visitor. The layout of the information should be convenient to access and navigate.
(iv) Wireframe: This is a pilot trial stage whereby a prototype is created prior to the actual website going live. This stage enables testing of the functional aspects and eliminates any errors prior to launch.
(v) Visual Design: Visual elements and appearance have a crucial role to play in user perception and influence site visits.
For example, the Google home page with a minimal design approach comprising mainly the search bar scores high on user-friendliness. Even a novice Internet user can easily type out the words in the search query, click on the search button and easily access the information required.
3. Why UI/UX design is a strategic priority to win customers?
Consider the following statistics
(i) 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience
(ii) First impressions are 94% design-related
(iii) Opinion about website credibility are 75% based on a website’s overall aesthetics along with functionality
(iv) 85% of consumers believe that a company’s mobile website should be as good or better than its desktop website
(v) 79% of people who don’t like what they find on one site will opt to search on other sites
(vi) On average, Indians spend around 5 hours on their mobile phone towards activities like surfing and to access media content
(vii) In 2019 alone, the number of apps available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store was 2.6 Mn and 2 Mn respectively
(viii) In the case of unattractive content or layout structure, 38% of people will stop engaging with that website
(ix) Digital users take about 0.05 seconds to form an initial opinion about a website. Further, based on the first impression, the user would either continue to browse or leave the website altogether
The above data points reaffirm the growing need for business enterprises to capture the consumer mind share on digital channels in order to remain competitive.
4. How UI/UX can boost customer experience?
The user interface is the first touchpoint for the digital consumer. Thus, it is imperative for enterprises to invest in and strengthen their UI/UX interface to ensure high customer engagement levels and positive experiences. A 2017 Avendus report highlights the high correlation between positive consumer experience and revenue growth and the key factors influencing customer purchase decisions:
Positive online reviews influence the purchase decisions and a poor UI/UX design could adversely impact the reviews. The study mentions that by 2017 itself, 89% of organizations would prioritise the customer experience. The below chart highlights the stages of consumer purchase behaviour:
Besides price and product differentiation, an intuitive UI/UX design can tangibly enhance customer experience, increase buyer transactions and grow business.
Simpl’s UI/UX edge
At Simpl, we believe that functional design and superior user experience is a sine qua non for a successful product. UX & UI is a critical core element in an internet product. Our credo: the best payment experience is NO experience! is achieved largely through superior design specifications and intuitive UI/UX interfaces.
Concluding thoughts
A good UI/UX design can lead to a host of benefits ranging from a favourable first impression, improved mobile responsiveness, prompt website loading, seamless navigation, boost customer conversion and contribute to building a positive brand image. With India’s growing presence in the digital-first economy, inherent consumption-driven market, and jump in Internet users, there is ample scope for India to make a mark in the global UI/UX design leaderboard.
