In nature the ‘interface’ of many creatures is very much synched with the organism’s capacities to assimilate into its natural environment. Yet, as we see in Web browsing, the Web environment is not as forgiving and intuitive to us as Mother Nature is to its dwellers. Looking at the big changes occurring with today’s technological solutions and applications, there seems to be a general shift towards accessibility to push Web conversion and usability as well as a rise of development of tools for our Web-browsing benefit.
Taking Darwin’s Theory of Evolution to New Directions
It’s common knowledge we’ve learned in grade school that bats are nocturnal animals, foraging throughout the night to survive. These mysterious creatures adapted to survive in its environment, attaining the ability to create and hear sound waves that bounce back to them, allowing them to essentially ‘see’ where they are traveling. They have been gifted with one of the most intuitive navigation tools – echolocation. But, where do they hide out in the day, you ask? Caves or other dark hideouts are the common place for bats to literally hang out upside down in order to protect themselves from unwanted predators.Just by simply observing how these little creatures of Mother Nature interact with their environment, can we learn a thing or two about how to effectively innovate an efficient and good user experience for our users and take User Experience technologies to even greater heights.
Kinda Like the Anatomy of the Bat but Vice Versa
Yes, these creatures have been gifted with the senses and capabilities to naturally survive and navigate in their natural environment; but, you have one huge differentiating advantage: the ability to control how your users feel. Just like bats were adapted to survive in nature, you must adapt your website or application to your users so that your business can survive.Considering how popular User Experience has become popular over the past decade, we see that tools to improve Web usability, such has video tutorials, site manuals, and live chat, have shifted to become increasingly important for self-tasking and user experience on the internet.
Blind as a Bat But Super Intuitive
What does it take for an organism to survive within its given environment? What does it take for a user to successfully thrive on your website or application, given the complexity of many sites heavy functional environments? Just like the blind bat that has been adapted to ‘see’, the ability for users to successfully navigate through complex Web processes has advanced with the help of intuitive Web tools, such as WalkMe, which provides interactive step-by-step guidance throughout any Web or application process, or LivePerson, which enables your users to speak to your team in real-time, thus navigating and resolving any issues with your website.
The Three-Step Process to Improve Your User Experience
Know you user: Remember that you are not your user. This phrase has been floating around for a while. You know your product in and out, but your user may stumble upon difficulties. Look at the frequently asked questions that your users are sending to see what issues they are having with you website.
Test Your Site’s Usability: Make sure to always test your website and product to see which elements are lacking and which are driving your website forward, producing conversions for your business. There are many tools that can provide you with the option to see what’s working and what’s not. Heat mapping tools, such as Crazy Egg, are a great to implement in your website, allowing you to visually see the most popular areas of your site.
Give Your Site a Facelift: Do not hesitate to improve your site based on the feedback you have received from your users and testing. If your site requires a more simple design, then cut off the extra baggage. Remember: simple is more.
The tools aren’t lacking. It is our job as website and application owners to tap into the trust of our users by offering them the intuitive and great user experience.Ariel Harkham is the Director of Business Development at WalkMe.com, the World’s First Interactive Guidance System.
