Flashy branding and reputable company history no longer impress potential buyers. People want devices that can solve their problems well, with no additional hassle. A prospect’s ability to trust an enterprise largely depends on the observable quality of its offering.
So how can you make the added value of your product obvious at a glance?
A Better Device Means Stronger Marketing Arguments
Closing deals on a professional device can be very challenging. To make your offer more attractive and competitive, consider whether your product has enough substantial user benefits. Furthermore, said benefits should be reflected in the interface, as it is the first (and oftentimes only) point of contact between humans and machines.
The quality of demo presentations is also influenced by user benefits. Instead of making sales reps give tutorials, which are not very interesting to watch, they could focus on the added value the device brings clients.
Even if your marketing and sales strategy is polished to perfection, usability problems can undermine the promises you make. Consider the fact that your clients trust their own judgments more than your pitch. Give them the opportunity to perceive and understand quality at a glance.
After 15 years of studying users, Creative Navy has come to understand the problems they face and the solutions they love. Here’s how you can improve your product, as well as your marketing strategy:
1. Eliminate Mandatory Training
Because of widespread smartphone usage, people come into the world of professional devices with high expectations. When you force them to go through training sessions or offer advice in annoying pop-ups, it’s safe to say you’ve lost their interest.
Think of it this way: training is an adoption barrier. It requires valuable resources (like time and money) and only yields results later on.
Many companies believe that getting rid of required training is a hardware or software issue, but that’s a misconception. Because the interface is the link between person and device, rethinking its structure and implementing a more intuitive user flow can do wonders.
No need to mess with the tech! UX design strategy can make tutorials and training sessions a thing of the past by simplifying complex processes. From a marketing perspective, increased learnability is an important selling point. Additionally, it will be easier for the product to break through on other markets.
2. Implement Error Prevention Functionalities
To err is human… and also incredibly costly. People often have to perform important tasks in high-pressure situations and environments. Whether it’s an assembly line or an operating room, the device they are using can make their job a lot harder if its interface is overly complicated.
When making a mistake can mean delayed production and loss of human life, it’s no wonder that prospects are willing to pay more for devices with error-proofing capabilities. Like increasing learnability, reducing error rates begins with the interface.
Misplaced buttons or illogical flows could be leading users down the wrong path. It also forces them to exhaust valuable mental resources to solve their tasks. Your product should always work for the people, not the other way around.
Smart UX design ensures that the interface offers enough information about the functionality of each component and does not contain design patterns that perform in an inconsistent manner.
3. Prevent User Frustration
Let me break it to you: your users’ grunts, sighs, eye-rolls, and rage quits are symptoms of deeper device problems. Rather than writing them off as a lack of proficiency, you should see them as the telltale signs of interface inadequacy.
What makes the people using your device so angry? There could be a number of reasons: working hard for trivial outcomes, being sabotaged by abstract concepts or processes which are difficult to understand, an overly complex interface with poorly placed elements, and even inconsistent user flows.
From a PR perspective, this bodes disastrous reviews for your product. The only way to eliminate user frustration is by developing a coherent UX design strategy. This allows you to scope out both granular details and the big picture to be more prepared for the next steps.
Angry users are not just bad publicity- they’re clients that you’re losing to the competition. Keeping them happy and productive is in everyone’s best interest, especially yours. Less frustration also takes the pressure off your customer support team.
4. Preserve Cognitive Resources
People respond to tasks by learning, processing, and remembering information. Each one of these mental operations uses cognitive resources like short-term memory, working memory, perceptual load, and cognitive load.
Why is it important that your device preserve cognitive resources? Let’s say that a doctor using a device on a patient has to concentrate on the said device more than on the other person — that’s poor bedside manner. Ideally, the device should be intuitive enough that it allows the user moments in which they can do their duty properly, beyond the scope of their tools.
On the other hand, if the device is counterintuitive, it will tire people out faster. Decision fatigue leads to poor decision-making, which could be life-threatening in scenarios like the one described above.
A smartly designed interface should unburden the user by working in their stead whenever possible. This supports user productivity and increases learnability, all amazing sales arguments.
5. Boost Productivity
Telling your clients that there are productivity hacks incorporated in your device interface is music to their ears. It’s challenging to solve dips in productivity, but a UX design strategy can help uncover why and where people get stuck during their workflow.
There are many aspects that can sabotage a professional’s performance: slow response times from hardware, errors with knock-on effects, illogical processes, and abstract components. The interface can trap users like a maze if its user experience is poor.
User research can be illuminating in such circumstances. The UX design team goes on-site to watch users as they go through their daily tasks. They pay close attention to the moments when users struggle or have a hard time figuring out the next step.
Market-leading products promise to increase productivity and look the part as well.
6. Prevent Physical Strain
Physical strain and fatigue due to device usage cast a shadow on users’ lives. Repetitive movements cause joint pains and screen glare deteriorates vision. It’s difficult for people not to harbor resentment for a device that is ruining their quality of life.
UX design can help in this instance as well. Button placement can be optimized for the comfort of the hand and fingers, while the key areas should be designed according to the principles of contrast in order to be visible in different light settings.
Such seemingly simple changes make it easier for people to perform better throughout the workday. Marketing a device with an interface designed to protect the well-being of the user is bound to pique the interest of buyers.
To conclude…
People love products that focus on their needs. Not only is high usability the path towards gaining a loyal customer base, but it also opens the door to product growth. Devices that are learnable can tap into foreign markets and attract a less skilled user base, saving clients money.
Most importantly, by increasing device usability, prospects can assess the quality of your device themselves. All it takes is one glance for them to understand the benefits: fewer mistakes, more satisfied employees, and higher productivity rates.
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