UX Tools for A Real-Feel Shopping Experience

Ease-of-access, and mass availability of products, has turned online shopping into a proper lifestyle. The convenience of not having to step out allowspeople to order pretty much everything online – and get it delivered right at their doorsteps. According to Statista, 40 percent of internet users in the USmake several purchases online in a month. Furthermore, around 20 percent admitted to shopping online on a weekly basis.

However, despite the increasingpopularity of online shopping, eMarketer reports that many customers still prefer the brick and mortar experience, i.e.,physical stores. For example, a survey conducted on back to school shopping reports that 56% of respondents planned to continue buying items in-store – compared to only 20% who said they would prefer to shop online.

Why Opt for Online Shopping?

The answer is simple; in-store shopping is an experience that allows you to use all five senses to make a decision. With in-store shopping, you get what you pay for – without the need to cross your fingers and hope that the products you ordered online meet your expectations.

According to a survey in June 2018, 70% of female internet users chose to shop in-store solely because they can see or touch the items. Approximately 41%of womenalso choose physical stores for the pleasant shopping and browsing experience. After all, window shopping never gets boring!

While online retailers can’t do much to combat these issues, what they can do, is provide a great user experience. Focusing on personalized recommendations, and a great browsing experience, through the application of UX tools can really attract online shoppers –and in-store shoppers – to your e-commerce store.

What is UX Design?

UX tools can help create meaningful and relevant experiences for users.They are designed for multiple purposes – including user-friendly designs and interfaces. A UX designer focuses on different aspects of the user experience, such asutility, and ease of use.

UX design revolves around providing users information in a clean and intuitive manner. Designers are typically in control of a number of tasks – starting from product research, to creating user personas, prototyping, and product testing.

With increased demand for a seamless shopping experience, and multiple options available to online shoppers,design work can prove to be difficult. UX tools save the day by easing this burden on designers. The below list of tools are part of the normal arsenal of UX agencies such as Clearwater. They are an Australian-based company who have helped provide us this handy list.

Here are the four main categories that UX tools can be divided into:

Analytics Tools

The entire point of a high-quality UX design is to provide user satisfaction. Without proper means to gauge what the user likes, there would be no point in putting forth a particular design. These analytics tools help designers understand exactly what usersare looking for, and how to provide a great browsing experience. Additionally, analytics help designers identify elements that need to be changed for a better user experience.

Some of the best analytics toolsinclude:

·         Google Analytics

·         Keen

·         Woopra

Tracking and Heat Mapping Tools

These provide insights by recording and tracking user sessions, and the activity taking place on specific pages. Tracking tools capture mouse movements, mouse clicks, and other on-site interactions by visitors. Heat mapping tools take it a step further by recording user patterns on different pages, thus providing insights into how users interact with specific on-page elements.

Popular trackingand heatmapping toolsinclude:

·         ClickTale

·         Inspectlet

·         Mouseflow

A/B Testing Tools

From the font of yourtitles, to the color and placement of your CTA buttons, A/B testing tools allow you to test everything. These tools help optimize your e-commerce site, by allowing you to test different variations of all elements on a specific page.

Some of the most effective tools for A/B testing include:

·         Adobe Target

·         Unbounce

·         AB Tasty

Prototyping Tools

With insights gained through analytics, designers can start working on prototypes and wireframes through specific tools. These prototyping tools allow you to easily showcase your design ideas, while reducing project costs.

Here are some popular prototyping tools that UX designers love:

·         Pidoco

·         Gliffy

·         Figma

If utilized properly, the application of UX tools can make your design workflow increasingly efficient –while allowing you to match, or even exceed, users’ expectations.