Why is UX important?

Have you ever been on an application or website and loved it at first site? Probably. Have you ever been on one and hated it right away and left? Definitely. Let's talk about why that is.

UX — The most underrated aspect of an application or website. Something that will either push a user away or keep a user there. Let's take Fanduel for example: They boast one of the best “user experiences” for sportsbooks there is. As a user myself, I find myself a loyal customer just because of this aspect. Promos are cool, content is cool, and commercials are cool, but what keeps me there is the UX. The ability to enjoy the app and have a seamless experience.

It’s all twisted…Many companies are focusing on user acquisition. That is great. But they forget about user retention and the lifetime value of a user. In order to truly maximize a users value, you must be able to keep them on your platform.

What a startup can do about this?

• Focus on being customer obsessed! Customers love clean apps. So just listen to their feedback and build around your target audience. Don’t get fancy with it.

• K.I.S.S — Keep it simple stupid. Do not flood your app with unnecessary features at first. Get straight to the main function and slowly work your way up. You will learn quickly that not all features you planned on adding are even wanted by your user-base. Save the money and focus on building out a clean interface with easy-to-use functions.

• When in doubt; black, white, and grey always work — Do not fill your app with colors. It hurts the eye and is unpleasant. Be creative, but if you find any difficulty just keep it classic.