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User Experience aka UX is all about your experience with a product or service, an app, website, or physical product.
In fact, for some businesses and organizations, UX has become their number one focus.
However, this emphasis on user experience is not always what it should be when other factors are considered, such as budgeting and operations time, which we will talk about in this article.
The importance of user experience in the hospitality industry
Many organizations consider UX as one part of their overall strategy but are unaware that a user experience-focused business is also more profitable. According to a report from Gartner, every dollar you put into your customer experience will give you about $2.50 in return.
The business value of user experience
The business value of user experience is evident in the application of this area of interest to the hospitality industry, which is an industry that has been proven to grow significantly and is projected to continue doing so for many years.
And the most important thing to consider is that the user experience can be improved without affecting your existing branding. This means that you could give a better experience to your guests without sacrificing the brand’s identity. So, when planning to improve UX in hospitality, don’t think of it as an option but rather a necessary choice. Now is the time for every business to take advantage of the opportunity.
6 Reasons why user experience matters in the hospitality industry
1. It can improve your hospitality brand’s reputation
If you want to reach a wider clientele or even become an industry leader, improving your user experience on your website could be the key to achieving that goal. You improve customer satisfaction, brand reputation, and reputation of your customer support teams.
This makes it more likely for customers to recommend your product or services to others and for people looking for similar products to come to your site.
2. It can improve the retention of customers
By providing a better overall experience on your hospitality website or application, you will be able to retain more of your existing clients. This is evident in the case of a restaurant chain like McDonald’s, where customer satisfaction improves as new products are added, and by serving up various types of food across the compass, you’re able to retain more customers.
3. It can improve the overall customer experience
An organization with a better overall experience will likely attract more clients willing to pay more for the offered product or services. This is evident in the case of Apple and Microsoft, which both have extensive media coverage about their products. Still, their brand recognition is also boosted by consumer satisfaction and happiness over the user experience provided.
4. It can reduce operating and maintenance costs
When you provide a quality service, it is more likely to retain the customers and make them happy with the product and service offered. This means that you will need fewer efforts to operate your business, which makes you able to reduce your operations and maintenance costs.
5. It can increase brand ambassador engagement
Providing a better overall experience will increase the chances that people offered your product or services will become brand ambassadors or other types of loyalty programs.
6. It can improve productivity
If your website or application is easy to use and doing business with you is simple, customers will be able to complete their transactions faster and more efficiently. This will increase your customers’ productivity and, overall, increase the productivity of your brand.
How to be user experience efficient?
To be efficient in user experience and improve your chances of success in the hospitality industry, you need to ensure that your UX standards are consistent across your business and marketing efforts. Here are a few ways to do so:
Establish a set of rules for how business processes will be designed. For example, the organization may decide to create a process for identifying any changes needed in the user experience based on new information on customer behavior.
Identify who will be responsible for overall UX efforts. This person will be tasked with ensuring that the organization’s goals regarding user experience are met.
Establish a team of people tasked with creating the brand identity for your service or product, including the UX philosophy and standards across all digital touchpoints like websites, mobile applications, and other digital platforms and interfaces.
Other industries where user experience matters
The hospitality industry is not the only industry benefiting from an outstanding user experience.
Here are a few other industries:
1. The software industry
Software companies like Microsoft and Apple have been leading the way in improving their user experiences over the years, having a major impact on the industry and what users can expect when using their products or services. This has made it easier for users to learn how to use their devices and work, making them more efficient while also increasing productivity.
2. The financial industry
In the financial industry, user experience is just as important as it is in the hospitality industry. This is evident in how people can make transactions online through their phones or how they can keep track of their investments online.
3. The educational sector
In the educational sector, there has been a lot of talk about improving user experience, with organizations like New York University working on making their websites more interactive and easier for students to access different resources on the web and mobile devices.
4. The healthcare sector
The healthcare sector has also been making steady improvements in user experience. This is evident in how patients who use medical apps on their phones can more easily access the services they need and have a greater chance of being diagnosed correctly.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that user experience is important in industries like hospitality and others. This makes it easier for people to access the services they need and feel right at home, ultimately improving their engagement and retention levels.