Contrary to popular belief, user experience isn’t always the primary factor in decision-making when it comes to software selection. It’s important to understand why the wrong product is often chosen and how software providers can prevent this from happening.
The Mistakes of Software Selection
A typical software selection process begins with a broad search and generally ends with the cheapest option, as pricing plays a huge role in the decision-making process.
This process is usually based on a single test run of adding one contact or one sales deal, which does not accurately reflect a user’s needs.
Think Pricing/Distribution First, UX Second
What matters in a competitive market is having a pricing structure that matches competitors, as well as focusing on distribution and growth loops.
Even if a product has inferior UX, it can still win the market with better pricing and distribution.
Changing Pricing Gets More Difficult With Time
As startups grow, pricing becomes more difficult to change due to multiple departments needing to sign off.
This means that it can be easier to focus on UX than on pricing, but pricing can have a bigger impact on growth than feature changes.
Testing Software Like Furniture
Comparing software to furniture, users often make decisions without testing out the product for an extended period of time and the functionality of different tools together in a meaningful way.
This means that even when problems arise later on, it’s too late as the data has already been imported into the system and the software has been paid for.
Best Product Does Not Always Win
Product people and designers often think that the best product will win the market.
In reality, most users never even reach the “a-ha moment” for testing out a product, so they have no idea which one is best.
