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Building Customer Loyalty through Exceptional UX
Episode 17 • 25th October 2024 • Business Ignite Podcast • Business Ignite Podcast
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Show Notes:

The Business Ignite Podcast, hosted by Ethan Walker and Samantha Reed, explores how exceptional UX design fosters customer loyalty in a digital landscape. The episode delves into the role of UX as more than aesthetics, emphasizing its psychological impact and the importance of micro-interactions. Discussing how well-designed websites trigger positive emotions, the hosts highlight ongoing website improvement, personalization, and a human connection as keys to maintaining loyalty. The conversation underscores UX as a continuous, empathetic process akin to tending a garden, ensuring lasting customer satisfaction and engagement.

00:00 Introduction to Business Ignite Podcast

00:18 The Importance of Customer Loyalty and UX

01:01 Psychology of UX: Creating Positive Emotions

01:46 Designing for User Needs and Micro Interactions

03:37 Keeping Your Website Fresh and Engaging

05:16 Personalization and User Testing

06:34 Continuous Improvement and Adaptation

07:00 Final Thoughts on UX and Customer Loyalty

07:56 Conclusion and Call to Action


Resources:

  • Increasing Loyalty Through Exceptional UX - This article emphasizes the importance of exceptional user experience (UX) in building customer loyalty. It explains how a well-designed UX can enhance customer satisfaction by making websites easier to navigate and more enjoyable to use. By focusing on user needs, reducing friction, and creating a seamless journey, businesses can increase customer retention and foster long-term loyalty. Exceptional UX not only boosts satisfaction but also encourages repeat business and positive word-of-mouth referrals. https://www.95visual.com/resources/articles/increasing-loyalty-through-exceptional-ux


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Transcripts

Speaker:

Welcome back to the business ignite podcast, where we light the fire

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for business growth and marketing success.

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Your hosts, Ethan Walker, Samantha Reed,

bring you the latest trends, expert

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insights, and actionable strategies

to fuel your business journey.

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Let's ignite your potential.

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Samantha Reed: Hey,

everyone, and welcome back.

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You know, we spend a lot of time on

this show talking about building a

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business online, but today I want to

talk about something that's absolutely

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essential for making those businesses

last, keeping your customers happy,

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and more specifically, how amazing

UX can actually create loyalty.

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Ethan Walker: It's funny you

should put it that way, right?

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Because customer loyalty, it

used to be all about punching

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cards and reward points.

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Now it's about creating an online

experience so good that users choose

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you, even with a million other tabs open.

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Samantha Reed: It's true.

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We've all been there,

overwhelmed by choices.

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So to help us break down exactly how

to stand out in the digital sea of

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sameness, we're diving deep into this

article from 95 Visual, Increasing

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Loyalty Through Exceptional UX.

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Ethan Walker: And you know, one of the

things I love about this article is it

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really gets into the psychology of UX.

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Samantha Reed: Okay, so like,

how our brains react to a well

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placed button or a color scheme.

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Tell me more.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly that.

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Like, when you land on a website

and it just makes sense, it feels

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good, and those good feelings?

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Samantha Reed: Yeah.

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Ethan Walker: Those are actually

triggering real chemical reactions

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in your brain, making you associate

the site with Positive emotions.

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Samantha Reed: Wow.

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So we're talking about more than

just making a pretty website, we're

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talking about creating an experience.

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Which is interesting because the article

actually kicks off by saying your website

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is like your modern day salesperson.

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But how do we translate the things

we know work offline, like building

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rapport, understanding someone's needs.

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How do we get that across on a screen?

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Ethan Walker: Yeah, it's about

anticipating what your user wants before

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they even know they want it, right?

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It's providing clear information,

like, exactly what they need,

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right when they need it.

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Samantha Reed: So instead of bombarding

them with tons of pop ups and

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those, like, spin the wheel things.

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Ugh,

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Ethan Walker: don't even

get me started on those.

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Samantha Reed: Right, we need

to be streamlined, intentional.

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Ethan Walker: Totally.

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Every single element, from like where you

place your call to action buttons to how

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you're visually organizing your content,

all of that shapes the experience.

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Think of those websites

that just seem to get you.

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Samantha Reed: Oh, I know

exactly what you mean.

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It's like they've read your mind,

everything's easy to find, it loads

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super fast, you don't even notice it,

but you just feel good being there.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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And a lot of that is about those tiny

details, the things most people don't

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even realize are affecting them.

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We call them tiny details.

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Micro interactions.

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Samantha Reed: Micro interactions.

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Okay, now you have to explain,

because I've never actually

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heard that term before.

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Ethan Walker: Okay, so

think about it like this.

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What happens when you hover over a

button, or when you scroll down the page?

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Are there smooth transitions,

subtle animations, even something

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as simple as the way a form field

lights up when you're filling it out?

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Those are micro interactions.

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Samantha Reed: Wow.

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So we're talking, like,

micro interactions?

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Next level detail.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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And they make all the difference.

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Samantha Reed: It's amazing how much

goes into creating a really great

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website, which I guess brings us

back to that whole dopamine thing.

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Because I remember the article

mentioned that a well designed

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website can actually trigger dopamine

release in the brain, which is kind

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of wild when you think about it.

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Ethan Walker: It's true.

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And it makes sense, right?

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Think about it.

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If something's visually

appealing, it's easy to use.

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We find the information we need.

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Our brains are like, yes, reward.

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It's like that little rush you get

finding a 20 bill in your pocket.

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Samantha Reed: It's like, add to cart!

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My brain is happy!

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Ethan Walker: That

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Samantha Reed: makes total sense.

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But here's my question.

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How do we keep things fresh?

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I mean, the internet changes so quickly.

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What's trendy today is old news tomorrow.

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How do we design something that lasts,

that stays engaging, that doesn't

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become, you know, well, boring?

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Ethan Walker: That's what you need

to think about your website is a

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living, breathing thing, right?

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It needs to constantly evolve.

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Samantha Reed: I like that.

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So it's not a one and done situation.

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It's about ongoing attention and updates.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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You wouldn't open a store and then

just never change the displays

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or update the inventory, right?

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Right.

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Websites are the same way.

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They need that constant refresh

to stay relevant and exciting.

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Samantha Reed: It's true.

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And I think that's a great analogy, right?

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Thinking of your website

almost like a physical store.

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You wouldn't just let people

wander around aimlessly hoping

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they find what they're looking for.

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You want to guide them,

create a clear path.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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It's all about designing those intentional

pathways, removing any obstacles.

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Samantha Reed: And that actually

reminds me, the article talked

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about this idea of UX as a funnel.

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What exactly did they mean by that?

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Ethan Walker: Okay, so

imagine a funnel, right?

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Wide at the top, narrowing down.

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Now think about your website.

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Someone lands on your homepage,

that's the top of the funnel.

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And you want to guide them

through, step by step, until

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they reach a specific action.

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Maybe they buy something, maybe

they sign up for your email list,

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whatever that conversion is for you.

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The UX is what creates that flow.

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Samantha Reed: Okay, so instead of

making people hunt for that buy now

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button, you're using design to kind

of subtly lead them towards it.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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Anticipating their needs.

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Answering questions

before they even ask them.

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It's all about making the experience

so smooth that it feels effortless.

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Samantha Reed: Almost like you're having

a conversation but without saying a word.

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Ethan Walker: Yeah, exactly.

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And one thing people often forget is that,

you know, not all users are the same.

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Samantha Reed: True.

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Ethan Walker: A new visitor

needs a different experience than

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someone who's been on your site.

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Five times already.

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Samantha Reed: Right.

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So how do you design for all

those different types of people?

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Ethan Walker: Personalization, which

sounds complicated, but it could

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be as simple as, say, using cookies

to see what someone's looked at

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before and suggesting similar items.

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Samantha Reed: Oh, so it's like that

recommended for you section popping up

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with things you might actually want.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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Or even just changing the language

you use based on whether someone's a

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first time buyer or a loyal customer.

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That feeling of being recognized,

of the website remembering you,

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it makes a huge difference.

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Samantha Reed: Okay, that makes sense,

but I feel like some people listening

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might be thinking, this all sounds

great, but how do I actually do it?

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Ethan Walker: Yeah, it can feel

overwhelming, but honesty, the

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best place to start is simple.

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Think about your ideal customer, like

really put yourself in their shoes.

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What are their pain points?

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What are their goals?

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Samantha Reed: Okay, so Empathy.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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Samantha Reed: Yeah.

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Ethan Walker: And once you have that

clear picture in mind, test it out.

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Watch how real people use your website.

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Samantha Reed: You mean like user testing.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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You'll learn way more from

watching someone actually navigate

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your site than you ever could

just staring at it yourself.

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You can see where people

get stuck, what's confusing.

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Those are gold mines for improvement.

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Samantha Reed: So it's all about constant

iteration then, like even after you

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launch a website, it's never really done.

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Exactly.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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Things change so fast online,

you have to be willing to adapt.

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Keep an eye on your analytics.

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See what's working, what's not.

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Samantha Reed: Yeah.

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It's

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Ethan Walker: an ongoing process.

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Samantha Reed: Like a garden, almost.

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You have to tend to it

if you want it to grow.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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And if you put in the effort,

the results speak for themselves.

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Happier customers, more sales.

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Samantha Reed: More loyalty overall.

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It really is.

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Okay, so we've covered

a ton of ground here.

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From those tiny micro interactions to the

psychology of dopamine, it's clear there's

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a lot more to UX than meets the eye.

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But if our listeners are going

to take away just one thing

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from this whole conversation,

What do you think it should be?

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Ethan Walker: You know, for

me, it always comes back to

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that idea of human connection.

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Even though we're talking about websites

and technology, at the end of the day,

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UX design is about understanding people.

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Samantha Reed: Yeah, it's about creating

an experience that feels personal, even

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if it's happening through a screen.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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It's like, how would you want to be

treated if you walked into a store?

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You want someone to say hello, to answer

your questions, to make you feel welcome.

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A website should be no different.

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Samantha Reed: So it's about building

relationships, even in a digital space.

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Ethan Walker: Absolutely.

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And when you do that

well, people remember it.

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They come back.

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They tell their friends.

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Samantha Reed: And that translates

to loyalty, which, let's be honest,

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is the holy grail for any business.

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Ethan Walker: It really is.

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Samantha Reed: Well, on that

note, a huge thank you to our

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expert for joining us today and

sharing so many amazing insights.

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This has been an incredibly

eye opening conversation.

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Ethan Walker: It's been

a pleasure being here.

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Samantha Reed: And to everyone listening,

we hope this deep dive has inspired

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you to take a closer look at your own

website, not just at what it looks

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like, but at how it makes people feel.

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Because those small details, that

human touch, that's what creates

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an experience people will remember.

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Ethan Walker: And in today's world,

that's more valuable than ever.

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Samantha Reed: Absolutely.

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Okay, until next time, happy designing.

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Speaker 2: Thanks for tuning

into the Business Ignite podcast,

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where we fuel your business

growth and marketing success.

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If you enjoyed today's episode,

be sure to rate and review us.

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It does help others find the show.

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Don't forget to follow us on social

media at Business Ignite podcast and

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share this episode with a friend.

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Keep the fire burning and remember,

your success is just one strategy away.

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Until next time, stay ignited.

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