What’s the Relationship between UX and Digital Marketing?

UX and digital marketing are separate fields. UX deals with the user experience of a product or service, while marketing aims to encourage a person to buy that product or service.

Yet, the two fields are deeply linked. Both UX and successful digital marketing require a deep understanding of customer preferences and customer personas. To market successfully, you must take UX into account; otherwise, your campaigns will miss the mark.

 

The Evolution of UX in Marketing

There was a point not so long ago when marketers didn’t consider UX at all. Traditional marketing was about pushing the customer to buy what the company had to offer. As technology evolved, customers became more discerning – they were no longer content to consume marketing messages from companies. Instead, they wanted to be in control of what marketing messages they see.

Today’s technology enables customers to choose the messages to which they’re exposed. If a website doesn’t provide useful information, they won’t stay on it very long. Emails with unappealing subject lines go straight into the trash without being read.

‘Customers today have more control over the marketing messages to which they’re exposed.’

To reach customers, marketers must focus on UX. Your digital marketing might be the first experience a customer has with the brand, and if the UX isn’t good, you won’t have a second chance to win that person back.

 

Why UX Is Foundational to Successful Digital Marketing

There are eight reasons why UX in digital marketing is crucial:

• If the UX isn’t good, you’ll alienate your audience
• Discover roadblocks to UX before designing marketing campaigns
• A positive UX leads to deeper brand loyalty
• Loyal customers advocate for your brand
• Good UX clarifies your marketing messaging
• Good UX makes you more visible online
• Good UX improves the customer journey on all devices

 

Poor UX Alienates Your Audience

Take a moment to think about the last time you received a marketing message that made you want to stop doing business with a brand. What was the UX like? Did the brand take into account your personal preferences (how you like being contacted, what offers are relevant, and your history with the company)?

When a digital marketing campaign’s UX is poor, its performance suffers. As a result, the message won’t reach its intended audience. You don’t want to frustrate customers with your marketing, which is why putting UX at the centre of marketing campaigns is critical.

 

Discover Roadblocks to UX before Designing Marketing Campaigns

Another reason UX matters so much to digital marketing is that it gives you a deeper understanding of the customer journey. Your customer journey encompasses every step a customer takes when deciding to do business with you.

UX determines whether a customer’s journey will be positive or negative. Digital marketing is part of a customer’s journey, so if the experience with digital marketing is good, it makes the customer journey smoother.

 

Positive UX Leads to Deeper Brand Loyalty

Now, let’s think about the last time a marketing campaign made you feel closer to a brand? Most likely, the brand provided a great UX, one that took into account your communication preferences and what offers would be relevant. As a result, not only did it make you want to do business with that company, but you also wanted to keep doing business with the brand.

When customers have a positive UX, they’ll want to stick with the company that delivers that. By ensuring excellent UX, you ensure brand loyalty.

 

Loyal Customers Advocate for Your Brand

Not only does positive UX drive customer loyalty, but it also makes your customers want to advocate for your brand. Your customers have a good UX as a result of your marketing campaigns will lead them to spread the word to others.

It’s significantly more expensive to acquire a new customer than to keep existing ones. So when existing ones recommend you to others, you’ve found an efficient way of attracting new customers.

 

Good UX Clarifies Your Marketing Messaging

UX in digital marketing forces you to think about how clear your marketing messages are. Will leads understand them at first glance, or are they hard to read due to design or wording?

Emphasising UX in digital marketing leads to clearer marketing messages. UX-led marketing messages are relevant, easy to understand, and attract customers rather than repel them.

 

Good UX Makes You More Visible Online

You hit send on an email marketing campaign to leads. What happens if a lead visits your website and he doesn’t like what he sees? He’ll leave, and your bounce rate (the percentage of visitors who take no action on your site) will rise.

Google considers the UX on your site. Low bounce rates tell Google your site has a great deal of useful information and that it matches the user’s search intent. As a result, you’ll have a higher ranking.

 

Good UX Improves the Customer Journey on All Devices

Today’s customers aren’t just looking at your digital marketing materials on a desktop. They’re viewing emails on their phones, tablets, and even smartwatches. Those devices have become popular touchpoints in the customer journey.

By improving UX, you make the customer journey better for people accessing your marketing materials on mobile devices. Additionally, Google rewards websites with good mobile site UX – those sites rank higher. A rising number of people use their mobile phones to make purchases; by improving your mobile site UX, you reach more customers.

 

Create Successful Digital Marketing Campaigns That Focus on UX with Enlighten Designs

For over two decades, Enlighten Designs has been delivering amazing digital experiences. Our expertise in UX and digital marketing help you create more successful campaigns. To learn more, Contact Us.