UX (User Experience) is Not Just for Apps
Technology businesses always focus around UI/UX (User interface/user experience). It matters for apps, it matters for websites, but did you know that it matters for our in-person business too?
Now that we are being released from COVID restrictions, our customer (user) experience is more important than ever. During the past 15 months, our customers have changed, our processes have changed, and we've all been trained to do life differently. Some changes will fall away while others will be a permanent change we need to adapt to as business owners.
For the second ½ of 2021, our user experience focus will be balancing those customers who are ready to return in-person like it’s 2019 while also continuing to serve other customers who have significantly adapted their patterns post-COVID.
Consider the following options to expand the base of customers that we can serve today.
Learn from our customer base. We reach out to customers through our email lists, social media, and direct conversations to learn what their new behaviors are. What are our customers doing already at other businesses that we can deliver on? We won't know unless we ask them. Then we document their answers and make the change to our UX.
Design all of your events for both types of customers. Some customers are not worried about distancing and others would like a little more space. Perhaps providing both indoor and outdoor options or rearranging the flow through your business can let us serve more customers while providing the space others require.
Have virtual, remote, or curbside options available. There are a lot of restaurants and stores that have already implemented a lot of curbside or remote ordering. Let’s challenge ourselves to find one way that we can add a remote experience or alternative purchasing option for those customers who are seeking businesses that are offering them.
Leverage the desire for some customers to be contactless & touchless. The simplest option to implement are touchless credit card and debit card readers. Perhaps we put out a remote payment QR-code. Even for those customers who may not choose to use those features, we are providing customer service which I believe creates goodwill even if they don’t take advantage of the service.
All of us can make at least one change to improve our customers’ user experience. If we don’t, our customers might find another who will.
Please let me know other ideas you have to improve the user experience for your customers.
Brent Halfwassen is an entrepreneur coach and business catalyst who has worked with hundreds of mainstreet, lifestyle, and start-up business owners. As an entrepreneur himself, his focus is on empowering entrepreneurs and business owners to find the money, means, and mindset to unleash their business. To learn more about Brent, visit https://halfwassenassociates.com/.
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