“User manuals are usually very poorly written. I wonder sometimes if anyone reads them and tries the instructions.” — Response from D2 Survey

When D2 conducted a survey in 2020 on product communications, many respondents aired grievances like the one above. Customers are frustrated with the quality of instructions they receive. Then, when they attempt to contact customer support, they are faced with more troubles trying to reach someone who can help them with their specific problem.

This is where UX research teams can help. UX stands for “User Experience.” Applying both science and psychology, UX researchers focus on the experience customers will have with your product. They can identify where people might struggle with the instructions and where they may not need help.

Ideally, a UX team would help design products from the start. UX input during initial product design can help reduce or avoid later (and expensive) redesign, which also affects product documentation. However, if your product is already on the market, it can still benefit from UX insight. Read on to hear more about why a user-centered design approach is critical to effective product documentation.

Documentation Without UX Input

Without applying a UX mindset to your product documentation, you may have frequent returns, which mean you are losing so much more than revenue. The customer is thinking of your brand through every step of the return process, and probably not in a good way. Returns harm brand reputation and customer trust and retention. Should a customer who’s struggled with your product be asked for a product recommendation, they are likely to express frustration, then eagerly point others to a competitor.

There are many reasons for product returns. Maybe the product was damaged or defective. Maybe it wasn’t what was expected. Maybe it didn’t fit the space it was intended for. Maybe the instructions were too complicated or too sparse to understand. Whatever the reason, it will incur cost one way or another, so it’s important to understand what you can do to drive a positive customer experience throughout their journey with your product or service.

The Power of UX

UX researchers consider the user experience every step along the customer journey. From purchasing the product, to assembling and using it, a UX team determines what works and what could be improved in product documentation. They focus on how customers will use the product and figure out what questions need to be answered before customers even ask them. Some of their methods include surveys, customer reviews, in-person product tests, and data analysis. The goal of a UX team is to make your customers satisfied from the very beginning. They create an actionable plan to improve product documentation based on customer behavior. By designing with the user in mind, product returns can be avoided from the start. UX research takes a proactive, rather than a reactive approach, staying one step ahead of dissatisfied customers. They create an empathetic design that considers what customers will need from a product and when they will need it. This intuitive design ensures a seamless process from opening your product to assembling and using it. UX researchers strive to improve text, graphics, and document structure.   

D2 Takeaway

If you want a proactive approach for making customers happy, leveraging UX input throughout the entire design and development process is a great strategy. Whether your product is already on the market or in the early design stages, our UX services combine data and psychology to best understand what customers need and want.

User-friendly documentation, infused with usability input, is easier to understand, which can improve customer experience. Our UX team’s data-driven insights aim to help your company in the long run. Want to hear more about how a UX team can help? Contact us today for more information.

Source: https://d2worldwide.com/what-consumers-think-of-product-communications-2020-survey-results/