Customer experience vs user experience – is there any relationship between them? What impact can it have on a company’s success? In the article, we’ll provide a recap on user experience and customer experience and present their correlations – what connects them and what differentiates them. If you’re feeling curious already, read on to find out.
We introduced user experience (UX) in more detail in our previous articles. However, to get a good understanding of its relation to customer experience, we will briefly explain what it is and what it consists of.
User experience is a term that refers to the various types of user reactions to a product – this includes all feelings, emotions, as well as cognitive and behavioral reactions that accompany the application of a product (in the case of UX, this mostly refers to a digital product but it can also be a physical product).
The user experience of digital products refers to the reactions that occur when interacting with a product (website or app). A digital product, to deliver user experience at the desired level, should be usable, intuitive, accessible, easy to navigate and move through the site and have a visually appealing interface. UX design, then, refers to providing the user with the highest possible satisfaction and the best possible experience of using a product. This is what user experience designers do.
It is a well-known truth that a satisfied customer is a returning customer. However, it is worth noting that a customer satisfied with a given service is very likely to recommend it to others. This is why customer experience plays a key role in building a brand and its image in the market.
It starts from the moment of getting to know the brand and is then shaped by the way products and services are presented, the ease of finding answers to nagging questions, the quality of customer service together with the smoothness of purchasing from ordering through to delivery as well as the quality of post-purchase service. The aesthetics and design of a website or stationery store are also of significant value.
Business owners, directors, and managers should keep in mind that their brand is not determined and evaluated by their product alone.
Customer experience refers to the entire path to purchase, the acquisition of product information, and all consumer interactions with the brand such as advertising efforts, promotion, social media channels, sales process, price, service and customer service, and the product itself.
User experience is an experience related to a specific product, while customer experience is a collection of experiences related to many aspects of the brand as a whole. What they certainly have in common is their impact on the brand’s image in the market, the number of customers and ultimately on the success and revenue of the company.
The terms are often mistakenly used interchangeably. They are certainly related – user experience is a certain part of customer experience. It also has a very strong impact on the overall customer experience.
While advertising, social media content, the sales team, customer service and return policy meet the needs of customers and fulfill their requirements, the user’s interaction with the company’s website or app leaves much to be desired – the overall customer experience can suffer.
When it comes to user experience vs customer experience – they influence each other, so it is worth taking care of both from the beginning of the company’s operations to create a pleasant experience and enhance a positive brand image in the eyes of customers (or users).
So when planning a brand’s activities, we shouldn’t omit any of the user experience or customer experience issues we have discussed.
After all, aspects that seem unimportant can have immense value from the point of view of the customer (user). Thus, neglecting certain issues can affect the customer’s experience of interacting with our brand or product, which can translate directly into their decision to buy or use our services.
However, that’s not all – a customer who did not make a transaction, or one who did, but is ultimately dissatisfied, is very likely to share his or her feelings by issuing an unfavorable opinion of the company/store online or sharing them personally with family and friends. Such behavior can affect the purchasing decisions of subsequent customers, as well as the brand’s image in the market. This is the so-called snowball effect, i.e. a process that begins on a small scale and gradually grows, becoming larger and larger – by further passing on opinions among friends via word of mouth which becomes a kind of “warning” against a particular brand/store or website due to previous experiences.
In conclusion, we can clearly deduce that even the smallest decisions related to a brand can translate into its image in the eyes of customers, its reputation and even affect its bottom line in the future. That’s why when it comes to user experience vs customer experience – it’s worth understanding the difference.
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Author: Klaudia Kowalczyk
A graphic & UX Designer which conveys into design what cannot be conveyed in words. For him, every used color, line or font has a meaning. Passionate in graphic and web design.
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