Every founder dreams of seeing their product or service take flight, accompanied by a legion of loyal users advocating for them.
This is the ultimate testament to your successful UX design - when users find enough value to recommend it to others.
However, transforming users into advocates entails more than just creating a functional design.
Cognitive psychology tells us that humans are more inclined to share experiences that elicit strong emotions. Whether it's joy, relief, or a sense of accomplishment, your product should evoke positive emotions that make users want to share their experiences. Smashing Magazine has an excellent overview of how to do this.
We also know that first impressions matter - within 50 milliseconds of landing on your site or using your app, a user has a perception of your aesthetics, credibility and usability. A 5-second test can help you understand people’s instant perception of your service.
Essentially, a 5-second test involves showing new users a design for 5 seconds. After the time elapses, the design is hidden, and the users are asked what they remember about it, and the impression it gave. A lot can be learned from analysing your users’ feedback here, as it indicates how clear you are in your content.
You should also consider investing in a good onboarding process. A user-friendly onboarding process educates new users about how to complete the first basic actions in your product and sets positive expectations. A well-designed onboarding can evoke a strong positive emotional response. Here’s a great analysis of Loom’s onboarding flow:
The Psychology Behind Loom's Explosive Growth
Additionally, keep dialogues open with your users. Make it easy for them to give feedback, report issues, or suggest improvements. Use social media, email, or feedback forms effectively.
Showing users that you value their opinion fosters a sense of community, inclusion and loyalty.
Lastly, measure success through various metrics. User surveys, Net Promoter Score (NPS), and user analytics are ways to gauge how well your product works. Keep adjusting based on these insights and always strive to offer a better experience.
Turning users into advocates is not an overnight process, but a journey, hastened by a great experience, a receptive attitude towards user feedback and a genuine curiosity about how you can solve their problems.
Actionable Steps
- Run a 5-second test of your landing page using UsabilityHub or Maze.
- Review the results to understand how effectively you convey your product to new users.
- Review your onboarding process and identify any potential problems or complex interfaces.
