UX Metrics: Measure Your App’s Success

Page Flows Team

July 26, 2024 | 8:00 am
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Firms get user feedback on their apps in many ways. For example, they can view the software’s stats to see how people use it. These UX metrics can even point to a product’s flaws, giving the devs a chance to fix them. Here’s how your app’s UX stats could help it grow, courtesy of the Page Flows team.

What Is UX Metrics All About?

User experience stats, otherwise called usability metrics, will help you see how much people like your app. This goes beyond the raw Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). However, the data will still make it a lot easier to plan your next product. Here are the three main types of metrics to watch out for:

  • Behavioral: This is how your users engage with an app. This can include how often they use a feature and if they do things you don’t want them to.
  • Attitudinal: Some metrics give more insight into how each user feels about your app. If they’re not liking it for any reason, you need clear ways to measure this.
  • Descriptive: These stats instead look at how users interpret the app. They will show you if people know how to use the app and what they use it for.

You’ll need all three of these stats to get the full UX picture. Behavioral metrics, for example, are only one part of the puzzle you have to solve. They can’t tell you why someone’s using your app in a certain way.

Why UX Metrics Matter

Your analytics act as a great guide when fixing up your latest product. They even give your team clear advice on how to make the next one even better. Here are just a few ways your UX design metrics will help your whole business shine.

1. Fixing Pain Points

If you know where people are struggling in your app, your team can fix it. For example, one key feature might see less use than others. The devs can then roll out an update. If all goes to plan, the app will be much easier to use.

2. Creating Better Setups

If you can nail the app’s setup stage, you could keep users engaged with ease. Your metrics will show if people check out of the onboarding process early for one reason or another. This offers valuable insights into whether it’s too complex (or even too simple) for new users.

3. Getting More Long-Term Users

Tweaking your app in the right ways could be what convinces people to keep their subscriptions. If this is as software as a service (SaaS) product, that will be where most of your money comes from. Happier users can make a world of difference to your app’s success and conversion rates.

4. Making the App Quicker

Time metrics will show how long it takes users to complete tasks. You can use this to see which features take more time for them to learn than they should. This will then help your buyers finish their tasks and make progress at much faster rates.

The Importance of a Great UX

A state of UX survey report shows that 45% of brands don’t take UX feedback into account, which can, in turn, affect them financially. Your firm can’t make these mistakes — or its new app could be its last. 

If your UX stats are showing low engagement, this has to be your priority. You need to fix this, either through an update or just by making your next app better. This could even mean sacrificing a design your team loves. But what is UX metrics if the buyer isn’t your main focus?

Perfecting the user flow will help you guide people from one part of the app to another. If you do this the right way, they might not even notice it. Positive and fluid user experiences will make it a lot more likely that they will become a repeat buyer.

Your UX and its stats must work together if you want your app to succeed. This means knowing how to choose the right UX metrics for your product. However, it may also mean designing your UX around the metrics you want to measure.

10 Examples of UX Stats

There are so many metrics you need to keep in mind when building your app. Not everyone will be the right fit for your product, however. Here’s just a small sample of stats you should consider checking:

  • Time on task: This is all about how long tasks take on your app. A low ToT score means your product is simple for anyone to use.
  • Single ease question: You can also simply ask your users how easy a feature is. Their ToT might not tell the full story.
  • Churn rate: You need to keep your churn rate as low as possible. This is how many of your users give up on the product.
  • Net promoter score: A high NPS means people are raving about your product. This will then hopefully lead to more sign-ups.
  • Customer satisfaction: Your customer satisfaction score (CSAT) is a clear rating that users give your app. This can cover as many bases as you want.
  • Error rate: You can set up your stats to highlight each problem your buyers face. Fewer errors will mean less frustration and churn.
  • Click-through rate (CTR): Your CTR is the percentage of users who click a link on your site or app. Strong design can push this rate up.
  • Load time: If a page or app takes too long to load, this could frustrate your users. Focus on a responsive UI over flashy graphics.
  • Session duration: You’ll likely want people to use your app for a long while. This metric shows how long your product engages users.
  • Return on investment (ROI): ROI is more about your business goals than the UX. However, it still matters when deciding if your efforts are worth the money.

Qualitative vs. Quantitative UX Stats

You’ll have to deal with different types of data when looking at UX success metrics. For the most part, we can group these into two sets: qualitative and quantitative. 

Qualitative UX data is about why end users act a certain way when using the app. This looks at their reasons for engaging with the product in the way they do. Open-ended user surveys, bug reports, and even feedback forms can give you these metrics.

Quantitative stats are usually raw numbers. You’ll have a specific number you’re looking for with each one. Your app’s overall UX design works hard to get these stats right where you want them to be. Number-based metrics include error rates, net promoter scores, and session durations.

You need both of these to guarantee a broad range of key metrics. Neither side gives your team everything it needs to know. In fact, qualitative facts can give more context to your UX numbers.

Benefits of Google Analytics UX Metrics

If you’re working with a site and not an app, Google Analytics can help. This gives you access to a full range of web-specific stats. For example, raw traffic shows how many people view certain pages over others. Here’s how Google’s metrics can help:

  • Better landing pages: Does your landing page have a high bounce rate? If it does, this means you’ll need a full overhaul. You can only get more leads and conversions if you’re able to guide the user’s journey.
  • Full traffic awareness: If you know how people find your site, you can make the most of this. For example, you can ramp up your social media marketing. Alternatively, it shows which channels aren’t getting much love.
  • Room for improvement: You can use data to back up every one of your decisions. Your Google stats show what your site needs to keep up with the competition. You’ll always know where to put your time and resources.
  • Smoother overall UX: With Google Analytics UX metrics, you can optimize the website with help from page speed reports. This shows you how to lower load times and give the site’s visitors a better experience.

How Churn Rates Can Sink Your App

If you’re running a SaaS firm, churn might just be the most important stat to keep track of. You’ll need to do everything you can to keep users paying their monthly fees. Poor UX can make them drop the app after the first month, leaving you without a repeat buyer. 

Every single UX stat goes toward your churn rate in some way. For example, higher error rates mean the user is facing a lot of problems with the app. There are only so many they’ll put up with before finding another tool entirely.

Customer lifetime value is how much profit a single buyer gives you over time. However, you must deliver a great customer experience if you want to keep pushing this value up. Looking closer at your tool’s churn rate and the factors affecting this can help. 

Top-tier service (and regular app updates) will lower churn. You should focus on the setup stage as much as you can. Refining this can make it easier for your users to learn and apply the app’s features.

How To Choose the Right UX Metrics for Your Product

Even small UX changes can make a big difference to your stats. However, you can only see this if you pick the right metrics from the start. Figuring this out doesn’t have to be too complex. Here are the steps you should follow.

1. Set Your Goals

Find out your goals before you even think about specific metrics. These key aims should be the bedrock of every choice you make when building your UX. Is a user’s happiness more important than their engagement? Does your team agree on these goals?

2. Map Out Signals

Your “signals” are what you’ll use to define your success. For example, a blog post’s signal might be click-through rates. A failure signal, on the other hand, is if someone just exits the page. You have to narrow down your biggest UX signals.

3. Pick Your Stats

Choose metrics that fit your exact goals. If you want engagement, you might check how many people use the app several times a week. It’s not practical to check every UX stat. Prioritize the ones that align with your app’s success signals.

4. Check Performance

Once your site or app goes up, monitor your metrics over time. These will point your team in the right direction when it comes to fine-tuning the product. You might even add these stats to your A/B testing stage before a full release.

UX Stats: Helping Your Product Grow

Your UX metrics will give great tips on how to make your app the best it can be. If you don’t use these stats, you could miss out on a lot of good business.

If you need examples of high-end UX layouts, the Page Flows catalog has everything you could ask for. Check our user flow library today to see what makes a successful app.

Author

  • The Page Flows Team is a collective of passionate UX design professionals dedicated to delivering insightful content on user experience and design principles. With diverse backgrounds and expertise, our contributing writers bring you the latest trends, tips, and research in the UX field. Each article is crafted with a focus on empathy, innovation, and a commitment to enhancing user interactions.
    Outside of writing, our team members draw inspiration from various pursuits such as outdoor activities, art, and continuous learning, fueling their creativity and drive to push the boundaries of UX design. The Page Flows Team is committed to providing valuable resources and engaging content to help you stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of user experience.

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