Customer experience vs. User experience: what’s the difference?

Learn how customer experience and user experience differ. Discover how these two aspects’ different aims and metrics form a positive customer experience.
Are your customers frustrated with the user experience design of your website?

Or are they having negative experiences with your brand?

These are two instances of customer experience (cx) and user experience (ux) impacting your customer interaction.

Since we use these two terms interchangeably, it leaves people scratching their heads!

While these two aspects seem the same, they are two different ideas in your customers’ journey. By understanding the nuances of cx and ux, you can offer a seamless customer experience.

So, buckle up to dive into the fascinating cx and ux world.

What is customer experience?

Picture this: you entered a nice store, and a friendly salesperson greeted you with a smile. Then they ask how they can assist you in getting what you need and help you navigate the store.

So, while shopping, you feel the staff are attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely want to provide you with a positive experience.

Finally, you leave and feel satisfied with the shopping there. And for that, you are likely to purchase from the store again! That’s what a good customer experience means.

Cx is all about a customer’s impression of your brand throughout their journey. Remember that it’s not about the service or product you are selling.

Rather it’s about what your customer feels, thinks, and perceives about your brand. And you want to create a positive cx. Besides, it’s crucial for your business to build customer loyalty and retention.

What is user experience?

Once in a while, we all use websites or apps with super frustrating navigation. You are likely to find one too. And that can make users feel like throwing the computer out the window!

That’s what your ux is with the website, which doesn’t look good at all. So, ux means your customer’s overall experience while interacting with your product or service.

Forming good ux means making sure your customers can easily, efficiently, and enjoyably complete their process of achieving goals associated with your service.

Ux includes everything from the layout and design of your website or app. A good ux indicates the flow of information and the ease of completing an action on your website.

Ux designers try to create an intuitive experience, making people feel a specific product or service is only for them. Just like cx, ux is a must for gaining customer loyalty and retention.

What is the difference between cx and ux?

While cx and ux are related, they are two distinct ways to measure your customer experience. Understanding the difference will deliver valuable insights into your customer needs and preferences.
If you want to tailor a better cx and ux to meet your customer needs and expectation, here is a closer look at how cx and ux differ from each other,

Goals and objectives

Cx and ux have their unique focuses, which, in other words, means the goals and objectives.

What is the aim of cx?

We pointed out earlier that cx is focused on your customer experience with your brand. So, what does cx involve? The process involves all points of contact and interactions, such as:

• Customer service
• Advertising
• Packaging etc.

The aim of cx is to raise positive emotions about your brand. When a customer has a positive association with your brand, it will improve customer loyalty and retention.

What is the aim of ux?

Basically, ux focuses on the experience your customer has while interacting with your product or service. Some common examples of that are websites and apps.

The aim of ux is to have a layout and design so people can easily achieve their goals. This, in return, will increase your customer engagement.

Metrics and measurement

Metrics and measurements are critical for establishing a thriving business. Let’s learn how cx and ux vary in these two aspects.

What are the metrics & measurements of cx?

Typically, cx metrics measure these:

• Customer satisfaction
• ●        Loyalty
• Retention
• Net promoter score (nps)
• Customer lifetime value (clv)
• Customer churn rate, etc.

By measuring these metrics, you can identify how well they meet your customer’s needs. Moreover, these metrics will tell you how long your customers are likely to buy your service or product.

What is the metrics & measurements of ux?

Ux matrice focuses on the user experience with a specific service or product of yours. And it includes:

• Task completing rate
• Time on task
• Error rate
• & user satisfaction

While you measure these metrics of ux like cx, you learn how well your service or product is catering to customer satisfaction. By measuring these metrics, you can discover your ux’s improvement areas.

How cx and ux work together

Have you ever thought about—why some businesses can effortlessly create a positive experience for their customers?

It’s possible for them because they understand the importance of cx and ux—these two elements working together.

Apparently, these two elements of your customer experience complete each other couple of ways.

Considering that, it’s clear now that cx is about the overall experience of your customers with your brand. On the other hand, ux is about the experience your customer has with a certain service or product. Once you can align these two elements of your customer experience, you can successfully create a seamless experience for your customers.

Well, it’s not just about aligning cx and ux. Remember we talked about metrics and measurements to evaluate cx and ux? Reviewing the metrics and measurement of cx and ux will give you a broader view of your customer experience.

Additionally, you can analyze both nps and task completion. This way, you can gain insights into customer satisfaction and the usability of your service or product. Once again, this helps find areas of improvement.

Furthermore, you must consider cx and ux while designing and developing a website. And customer-centered approach to ux design is the key to ensuring your service or product is usable and efficient. Besides, you can align your product or service with your brand strategy.

You must work on cx and ux combined to gain customer loyalty and ensure retention and positive perception.

In a nutshell

Cx and ux are two critical aspects of a customer-centered approach. You must work on these two elements to create the best possible customer experience.

To increase customer engagement to drive business success eventually, you must:

• Align the ux of your product and service based on the cx strategy of your brand
• Use complementary matrices and measurements of cx and ux

besides, by prioritizing your cx and ux, you can establish yourself as a leader in your industry and obtain a loyal customer base for a long time.

Also read:5 Best Benefits Of Doing Business Online