This situation is more common in startups or small businesses, but if you work in a large company and have identified yourself — which is totally okay — don't skip this article!
What can UX design do for a small business?
The person in charge of a small business frequently takes on multiple roles. He is in charge of coordinating activities, organizing finances, and pursuing new customers. Have you identified yourself? When it comes to developing solutions, these businesses often rely on the ideas of a single person.
Going from a specific problem to developing a new product is not always a bad idea, but how can you be sure? Today, we'll discuss how user experience (UX) design work can help you get started on website design for small business.
UX is a design specialty focusing on understanding how consumers interact with a product or service. It is the responsibility of the UX designer to research the public's habits, limitations, desires, and doubts and guide the development of the solution to suit the customers for whom it is intended. A company of any size can and should hire a user experience creation service.
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We have already worked on several website design for small business projects. In these cases, considering consumer needs is critical because the product is at the heart of the entire company. Smaller businesses, as opposed to large corporations, specialize in one industry and produce various products and services within that industry.
How do I know if my concept is good?
Building an entire project on a solution or an idea necessitates careful consideration of this initial insight. Is the entrepreneur's need the same as the need of the consumer? Is the answer to the problem applicable to a more significant number of people? Is the concept good, but could it be better? These are critical questions that the UX design team will assist in answering via surveys and interviews.
Concept testing is one of the tools used on website design for small business. This type of research evaluates the concept before developing the product itself. It is a method of determining whether the proposal makes sense in the market. To summarize, a solution will be successful if it meets three essential criteria: technical feasibility, economic feasibility, and public desire. The proof of concept is used to analyze these factors ahead of time.
UX assists small businesses in considering business strategies
You may have noticed that we discuss design and product when we talk about adapting solutions to the user experience, but how will the outcome be delivered to the consumer? What do you charge for it? How should the solution be marketed? All of these questions should be answered using the data gathered during the UX research.
The focus on the human being, the person "behind" the consumer, is an essential precept of experience design, known in the field as "human-centered design." A startup, or any company, will be successful if it truly understands its customer.
Human-Centered Design is defined as a creative approach to problem-solving. It begins with people and ends with innovative solutions tailored to their needs. Approaching products and services from a human perspective makes the solutions more exciting and increases the likelihood that they will have a meaningful impact on those people's lives.
When you understand the people you're trying to reach and draw from their perspective, you'll get unexpected answers and ideas they'll like.
The importance website design for small business
Investing in website design for small business gives you an advantage. In the case of concept tests, the information gathered about the consumer and the idea's viability can be used to strengthen the "pitch." Several initiatives encourage business rounds in which innovators can present their products to potential investors and "sell the fish." Some companies and institutions that promote events with pitches will also hold selections for specific projects. In these cases, the data gathered by the UX research is quite valuable for demonstrating the significance and feasibility of the idea.
I had no idea I was doing UX...
Since the introduction, I've tried not to mention the professional designer because user experience can be used and applied in various contexts. And these individuals may be unaware that they are engaging in UX planning and research daily.
I'm a designer, and when I moved to digital products, I assumed that because I had to start from scratch in a new field, I didn't know what in-depth user research was and that I had a lot to learn, but in fact, I've been doing it since day one. UX Research can appear complicated and unattainable at times. It is a science, but it happens in any shallow or deep project.
Suppose you are listening to your potential user (even if it is customer complaints), thinking about the product pitch, talking to your customer and understanding your business rules, sharing with stakeholders, or evaluating competitors. In that case, you are doing UX planning and research!
Where do I begin?
From the website design for small business standpoint, research focuses on determining how to achieve best the user's goal (what they want to achieve) rather than what they want to achieve. The first step is to understand and practice this.
Some skills are necessary for research planning and execution, as well as for UX practice in general, but others are essential. Be curious about other people's points of view and why they think or act the way they do. Don't become defensive or oppose other people's ideas and solutions. It is not enough to create space; you must also learn to accept that you may not be the bearer of all solutions.
The cliché is true: you design for the other person, not yourself. There are constraints to defending your proposal, which must be based on data from your research and study.
Planning and Investigation
Nothing is better than getting organized to embark on this journey of discovery and purpose. There are some methods that I will not describe here because of obvious reasons, but I will go over some highly achievable points.
If you already use design sprints, you may have already used versions of some planning and discovery methods, such as the "UX Questionnaire," which is similar to a BMC-style canvas (Business Model Canvas). In it, you answer questions like:
Who is on the team?
What is the product's strategy?
What are the goals of the business?
What are the possible scenarios?
What is the potential user?
What is the solution vision flows?
In a nutshell, the Conversation Rounds are where you hear the perspectives of several people involved in the website design for small business projects — engineers, customers, stakeholders, marketing, and so on.
In addition, every project has a brief. In any case, you have a document that contains the product vision (why) and requirements. Add design principles, for example, to evolve it from a UX perspective — Google it or get your reference and take it to the client/team; try to align which ones fit the proposal.
Another method used frequently in design sprints is the "Opportunity Workshop," in which you try to gather — again, from the perspective of everyone involved — what needs to be done to improve (or create) the user experience. You can prioritize these new requirements based on user requirements and business goals.
Other methods of UX discovery and planning that you may be using without realizing it is:
- Elevator pitch
- Storyboards
- Moodboards
- Kanvo Model
Many companies are eager to begin a website design for small business taking the discovery phase for granted. But what if I told you that you could temporarily "downgrade" these methodologies with some research to get a jump-start?
UX research
One of the first things you can do and validate is to create a table of what you've learned and what you believe is missing. List your beliefs in one column, the user profiles, needs, motivations, and behaviors. In the rows, fill in how certain you are about each of these, what research methods you can use to get more information for these hypotheses, what evidence you already have, and leave some space for notes.
This makes everyone aware of what you have and may require to evolve. It's also essential for businesses that still don't see the value of UX.
Create prototype personas
Proto-personas are a downgrade or workaround for personas if you cannot conduct research or do not have a research team. Use what you have to exercise, empathically, your potential user's vision: how he is, acts, solves problems, motivates himself, consumes, and so on. There are several templates available on the internet to assist you.
Find representatives of your personas or proto-personas and start a conversation with them, but be prepared! Draft the questions you'll need to ask and prefer to conduct these interviews in an environment where the person is most comfortable or used to solving the problems you're trying to solve — even for a brief moment to attempt to play a parrot and observe how these people solve problems.
Two tips for asking questions are to first look at your table of learnings and make a mind map of everything that comes to mind until you are clear about what needs to be questioned. Also, always explain what you're doing and why, and get their written consent. Other techniques I know you can use are:
Comparison of competitors
But it's not about knowing who they are; it is also about browsing through the products, walking them through their website or shop, writing down solutions they use and those you don't think are very good, and sharing; pattern discovery. Content, language, structure, and so on. Use an existing product as a foundation for your website design for small business. If not, look for solutions that are similar to yours.
The user journey
Attempt drawing the user journey. Where does your customer begin your sales process? What is his state of mind? What is his opinion? What possible heuristics or design principles are present at this point? What emotions do you feel at each stage? If necessary, pretend to be a persona and go through the process from beginning to end, taking screenshots and noting your reactions.
Conclusion
UX planning and research are essential for all businesses, small or large. By taking the time to understand your user's needs, you can create a website design for small business with a unique style that meets your customers needs and exceeds their expectations. Don't be afraid to start your user research; it doesn't need to be complicated or expensive. With just a little effort, you can gather valuable data that will help you improve your product and increase sales. Are you ready to start designing great user experiences for your customers? Let us know how we can help!