In the past, the focus of the enterprise program is on functionality. No thoughts spared on usability. No strategy on how to make the interface more user-friendly. It’s all about what the software can do.
Well, the thing is, the development team is usually made entirely of engineers and programmers with no real experience on UX — so, the hideous interface can be forgiven.
However, times are changing. At least, some organizations are beginning to make efforts to ensure their apps in addition to its functionality satisfy usability concerns.
Now that’s not surprising considering that consumers are used to good design, especially in the B2C sector. Most user-facing apps rely heavily on excellent UX experience to get consumers hooked on their products.
So, enterprise app users are beginning to demand the same experience hitherto available only in B2C apps.
Today, it’s no longer enough to have an app that works — it must also offer excellent user experience. Slack, the productivity and workplace software understood this trend and created a platform that helps teams improve productivity while at the same time sporting an easy-to-use, intuitive interface.
No wonder it is ranked as one of the best UX apps for B2B and officially the fastest growing collaborative program ever.
That said, how do you implement or improve your app’s usability score?
There are a couple of ways to ensure your enterprise software scores high on the usability scale. However, in this piece, you’d be learning about the best UX practices.
Think of these best practices as a framework on which to begin your UX design journey. Let them act as pointers to guide you as you implement a UX strategy.
It’s worth noting also that these ideas were first shared by Jakob Nielsen in his Usability Heuristic missive in 1994. They are still very relevant today and act as the industry standard for creating an excellent user experience for any app.
Principle #1: Ensure your System Status is Visible
According to Jakob Nielsen — the system (your app) should always keep users informed about what is going on through appropriate feedback within a reasonable time.
How do you ensure system visibility?
Imagine you are using a new cloud-based app. You’re trying to sign up on the homepage. You’ve completed the form and then, clicked submit.
Nothing happens. You checked again to be sure there were no error messages. No error messages. You clicked the submit button again. Nothing happens.
How do you feel?
For most people, they will start second-guessing themselves. Is the internet connection out? Did they do something wrong?
And if the task they wanted to accomplish is not essential, they would exit the web app never to return — at least not immediately.
Now what this first principle is saying is, at the heart of user experience is feedback. The system must at all times let the user know where they are, what’s going on, and communicate appropriate feedback for a given user action.
Principle #2: Ensure your system matches the real world
Jakob says: The system should speak the user’s language, use phrases, words, and concepts users are familiar with instead of system-focused terms…
The fact is people hate change. Anything unusual is often avoided. If it is unfamiliar, no one would want it.
So, what do you do?
Ensure that your app as much as possible uses concepts represent objects, and relies on phrases your users are already familiar with. This way, they don’t feel out of their depths when interacting with your system.
Eliminate jargons, industry-speak, and words users wouldn’t understand at first read. Instead, use words they are already thinking about in your copy.
Principle #3: Make your users feel in Control
Jakob says: Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly marked “emergency exit” to leave the unwanted state without having to go through an extended dialogue. Support undo and redo.
Almost every one of us has experienced using a website with intrusive pop-ups that refuse to go away. You’re on a website and the next thing you know, a pop-up appears that blurs your screen and no matter what you do refuses to go.
What do you do?
Give your users options. Let them know they can choose to accept the offer on the pop-up or decline to accept.
Giving your app users the power to choose what they’d like to do enhances their experience and helps them rank you top of the best ux apps.
Principle #4: Ensure consistency and use standards
Jakob Nielsen says: users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions.
You want your users to have the same experience regardless of what page or feature they are on. So, ensure the font type, layout, and navigation are consistent across the board.
Also, use standards. Do not try to be smart with unique terms or features. Design standards are there for a reason — users understand and know what they are.
So, there you have the best UX practices for building B2B apps.
Picture source: by Peter Tarka