The biggest mistake in UX design is launching a website or app and then forgetting about it. Monitoring and improving after launch benefits both users and your metrics. There's no better strategy. When you launch a redesign or a new feature, the team often moves on to the next project. This is a mistake.
It's in the real world, with real users, where we can see how they interact with the site or app, and whether it achieves its intended goals. Even in successful cases, there's always room for improvement, especially in optimizing the conversion rate, where small adjustments can have a significant impact on metrics like revenue or lead generation.
Reserve Time for Post-Launch Iterations
From the outset, schedule time to optimize your website or app after launch. Schedule the launch to occur approximately two-thirds of the way through the project, allowing time for analysis and further improvements.
Even better, divide the team's activities into two workflows: one for innovation (new features or content) and one for optimization (improving what's already online).
This approach allows for the identification of underperforming areas that need adjustments.
Problem Identification
Use data analysis:
- Look for spots with high bounce or exit rates.
- Review low-performing conversions in relation to total traffic, so as not to prioritize popular pages unnecessarily.
Recommended tools:
- Google AnalyticsAlthough useful, it can be complicated to use.
- Microsoft ClarityFree and easy to understand. Provides heat maps, session recordings, and key metrics such as:
- Rage clicks: Repeated out of frustration.
- Dead clicks: On non-interactive elements.
- Excessive displacement: Searching for something they cannot find.
- Quick returns: Immediate exits after a navigation error.
These indicators point to specific problems that require more attention.
Diagnosis of Specific Problems
- Heat maps: Identify areas where users interact more or less.
- Session recordings: Observe the exact user behavior to understand the points of friction.
- Surveys: Ask users about their experience; use triggers such as exit intent to avoid interruption.
- Usability testing: Recruit 3 to 6 people for facilitated testing, where you can interact and clarify doubts.
Test Possible Solutions
There are various ways to solve a problem. The choice of methodology will depend on the complexity of the solution.
A/B Testing for Small Adjustments
- Ideal for simple changes such as UI or content adjustments.
- Use tools like Crazy Egg (affordable) or VWO (with a free version).
- Set up a goal (e.g., add to cart) and test different versions of a page.
Tip: On low-traffic sites, keep the target close to the tested page for faster results.
Prototypes for Major Changes
- If the changes involve multiple screens or complex functionalities, build a prototype and perform remote testing.
- Unfacilitated Testing: Tools like Maze allow you to set up quick tests with detailed analytics.
- Facilitated Testing: If complex problems arise, interacting with users can provide clearer answers.
Participant recruitment:
- If finding users is difficult, services like Askable can do it for you.
- Otherwise, use friends and family members with physical and cognitive abilities similar to the target audience.
- Avoid employees of the organization to avoid bias.
Continuous Iteration: Rinse and Repeat
Once you fix a problem, go back to the analysis and find the next weakness. This continuous cycle of improvement will increase key metrics such as:
- User participation.
- Conversions.
- Overall satisfaction.
Additional benefit: This constant focus on optimization can justify to management the need to dedicate permanent resources, avoiding the vicious cycle of launching features without measuring their impact.
Launching a website or app is just the beginning. The key to success is iterating, optimizing, and never stopping learning from your users' behavior.
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Original article by Paul Boag | June 24 2024 published in Smashing Magazine
