When I first saw the letters UX, I had to ask,
“What is that?”
I learned that UX stands for User Experience (or User eXperience).
And then I had to ask,
“What is that?”
I’ve found so many different definitions (check out the list of definitions on the All About UX website—http://www.allaboutux.org/ux-definitions). While these definitions are different, they all pretty much say that User Experience is the user’s perception/feeling/interaction/experience with a product, service and/or company. That’s great, but what does this have to do with direct marketing?
EVERYTHING!
From the simple letter package to an email, from a landing page to a website—the user‘s experience needs to be considered in the design of all direct marketing: Compelling copy and poignant imagery to elicit the emotional response that will drive the recipient to give you a call. The ease of use and clean design of the landing page or website that allows the user to feel good/secure/happy about “clicking now.”
Will the end user want/need/have to have your <fill in the blank> that you’re marketing? You design creative that will elicit the desired response; you also need to consider the User Experience to make it as easy as possible for your customer/prospect/lead to know what to do and how to do it and to be happy about doing it! So as you’re preparing for your next creative kick-off, as you write that creative brief, take the time to consider and document what you want the user experience to be.
Create those site maps and wireframes before you go to layout for your website—map out the user experience; get a look at the whole picture so you can avoid redesign after redesign because the flow of the site isn’t working or you suddenly find that it takes 15 clicks before the end user gets to the desired information.
As marketers, we understand the importance of knowing our audience. It’s also important to know that our audience has a good experience when we communicate to them.
