Written by Dominic Kent
The market has decided that Software as a Service (SaaS) has taken over and is here for the long haul. This means more players will be coming to the table but they need to get it right to excel in this space.
At the SiPhon User Forum in Windsor, Alex Theuma of SaaScribe raised a rather valid point regarding the importance of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) in SaaS.
IT administrators need to deploy software efficiently and need the user adoption process to be as smooth as possible. This is difficult if the UI is unfriendly or dated. Contact centre workers will be familiar with UI similar to their smart phone or tablet rather than programs that still look like command prompt.
Alex went on to mention that “Using accountancy software is a pleasant experience” – something that would have been ridiculed ten or even five years ago. He’s not wrong. When you log into your billing system or CRM in the office tomorrow, you will realise just how much work has gone into making the interface as easy to use as possible.
The next point that struck me is gold dust. The Wow Effect. More specifically, Alex referenced the wow effect from day one. If a piece of software takes more than a few minutes to download and install, it is likely to end up in your almost downloaded items and never seen again.
It seems obvious but with the influence of OPEX models and the world moving towards subscription services, providers need to prioritise the user experience in order to keep the customers coming back.
Once the wow effect from day one has been cracked, this needs to be followed up with customer success. One without the other is worthless.
It is crucial for your Net Promotor Score (NPS) and business in general to be committed to following up. Once a customer has installed your software, downloaded your whitepaper or taken up your free trial, how will you know if you have solved their problem or satisfied their requirement? Customer success is as important as the look and feel of the software.
A strong UI and UX will empower your SaaS offering and keep churn down but a weak UI and UX could leave you powerless.
