Have you ever visited a SaaS app that left you frustrated and confused? Maybe it had buttons in all the wrong places, or perhaps the tool just didn't work smoothly on your device.
If you have, you've experienced the impact of User Experience (UX) design firsthand. Software users are quick to make judgments. If they find your tool difficult to use, they’ll simply move somewhere else.
In this article, we'll explore the five best practices for SaaS UX design. The goal is to create software that people enjoy using.
Importance of creating a good SaaS UX design
Say you've developed a groundbreaking software application with powerful features, intricate algorithms, and cutting-edge technology. It's a masterpiece in terms of functionality. But when users try it out, they're left scratching their heads, unable to navigate or comprehend its complexity.
What went wrong? The answer lies in a poor UX design. Here’s why SaaS UX design is so crucial:
- User retention: Target users are more likely to stick with your software if it offers a smooth and enjoyable experience. A well-designed UX keeps them coming back for more.
- Customer satisfaction: Happy users become loyal customers and brand advocates. They're more likely to leave good feedback and recommend your software to others.
- Reduced support costs: A good UX reduces the need for extensive customer support, saving time and resources.
- Competitive advantage: Your great UX can become your selling point and set you apart from your direct competitors.
If you want your SaaS product to thrive, don't underestimate the significance of SaaS UX design. While having a platform incorporating the latest design trends is a plus, you shouldn’t overlook the importance of making your software a joy to use.
5 SaaS UX design best practices
Now that we've established the importance of the SaaS UX design process, let's dive into how to make your digital product seamless, enjoyable, and efficient for your users.
1. Simplify the user interface
A cluttered user interface (UI) can quickly lead to frustration. In contrast, a clean and intuitive UI can keep users engaged and satisfied. Users appreciate a UI that’s easy to navigate and understand. They want a tool they can learn how to use in the shortest amount of time. In short, they want a simple interface. A simple interface encourages potential customers to explore and use your software more frequently.
Let's look at a real-world example to understand the significance of a simplified UI. Take the Surfer SEO app, a powerful tool for SEO professionals.
Surfer SEO effectively simplifies its UI by decluttering. The app’s design team removed unnecessary elements, buttons, or features that don't add value for the user. The result is a clean and streamlined dashboard users can easily use to assess essential SEO data.
Surfer SEO also shuns complexity by organizing information logically and prioritizing essential features. Users can quickly locate the tools they need, like the AI in SEO functionality, making them more efficient and effective.
That said, here’s how you can simplify your UI effectively:
- Minimize complexity: Organize information logically and prioritize essential features.
- Use consistent icons: Go for universally recognizable icons to represent actions, making it intuitive for users.
- Declutter: Remove unnecessary elements, buttons, or features that don't add value.
Simplifying the user interface can transform frustrated users into delighted ones. It's a UX design strategy that shouldn’t be underestimated.
But, wait, does simplifying the user interface mean you can no longer incorporate additional design elements to make it more aesthetically pleasing and engaging? Not really. There are design elements that can greatly elevate your UI without making it look cluttered. LottieFiles, for instance, offers simple loading or progress indicator Lottie animations like the one below:
These Lottie animations also provide additional value to viewers by telling them when they can expect a specific action to be completed. If they know they can expect the completed action soon, they’ll likely stay on your SaaS platform.
2. Design for multiple platforms
Smartphones are used by a whopping 97.4% of Internet users. If your SaaS app isn’t optimized for mobile devices, you're missing out on a huge potential target market. Modern users expect a consistent and user-friendly experience, regardless of whether they're on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone.
Consider the example of Zoom, a widely used SaaS video conferencing tool. Zoom's success can be attributed, in part, to its commitment to ensuring it can be used across multiple platforms.
Users can also count on a consistent and intuitive interface, regardless of the channel they use.
That said, here are tips to follow to ensure an effective design across multiple platforms:
- Responsive design: Implement responsive web design techniques to ensure your application adapts to different screen sizes
- Cross-platform testing: Regularly test your software on various devices and platforms to quickly identify and address any issues
- User feedback: Listen to user comments and if they have any issues about your UX on various devices, address them ASAP
Designing for all devices and platforms opens doors to a broader user base, making your SaaS product more versatile and appealing.
3. Provide efficient search tool
Up to 30% of website visitors will go straight to the search bar to use it. In fact, at a staggering 78% usage, the on-site search feature is utilized more frequently than the navigation menu (49%), filter feature (37%) and homepage recommendations (30%).
A powerful search tool is essential for users looking to find specific products and information quickly and efficiently. It saves time, boosts productivity, and improves user satisfaction. So, your SaaS tool should have it, too.
Let’s take Wix, a popular SaaS platform for web design, as an example. You’ll find a search tool almost everywhere you go on the platform.
Users can easily search for their customized templates, for example:
So, if you have a large selection ranging from restaurant to manufacturer website design templates, you won’t have to go through your entire database to find what you’re looking for.
There’s also a search function you can use if you need to look for a site you’re managing with the platform:
That said, here are ideas to ensure your search tool is a delight to use:
- Auto-suggestions - Implement auto-suggestions to help users find relevant results as they type their query
- Filters and sorting - Allow users to refine their search results with filters and sorting options
- Keyword recognition - Ensure that your search tool recognizes synonyms and common variations to broaden search accuracy
As a final tip, make sure your search tool is visible in the first place. You want to ensure users know they have this option from the get-go. As we’ve seen in our Wix examples, the best place to put the function is above the fold. After all, this is the first thing users will see.
4. Enable simple onboarding experience
Software application users shouldn’t feel completely lost the first time they try using your SaaS app. A smooth and straightforward onboarding experience should guide users through your software's features and help them get started effortlessly.
But why should you, the SaaS company, care about ensuring a seamless onboarding experience in the first place?
Well, users who have a positive onboarding experience are more likely to stick around. This is critical, especially if you’re offering a free trial period, as it can significantly impact their decision to continue using your product beyond it.
QuickBooks, an accounting software application, understands the importance of a simple onboarding experience. Users only need to fill out a simple form to create their accounts. Once they sign in, QuickBooks asks a few simple questions to help them get started using the app.
Users aren’t left guessing what happens when they click specific buttons on the platform. The SaaS brand guides them every step of the way with simple instructions and easily understandable visuals:
That said, here’s how to offer a simple onboarding experience:
- Guided journey: Provide guided tours to introduce users to key features
- Progressive profiling: Collect user information gradually instead of bombarding them with a registration form with many fields
- Simple language: Use simple language when giving instructions.
Offering a simple onboarding experience can transform potential frustration into a positive and productive user journey. A good onboarding experience also helps with reducing churn rate.
That’s because it helps users understand how the platform works and how to get the most out of it. This reduces time to value, increasing the chances of customer satisfaction. So, don’t ignore the onboarding process during UX design.
5. Ensure easy access to support
You have to consider the fact that even the most well-designed software products can encounter hiccups. Consider, too, that users may simply have questions about your tool’s functionalities.
That’s why accessible customer support is key. It minimizes frustration and contributes to an overall positive experience. Providing straightforward access to support options ensures that users can get the help they need when they need it.
They should find access to this support from the SaaS platform itself, of course. See how Trello, a project management tool, does it:
Users only need to click on the Question Mark icon on the dashboard to gain access to relevant support resources.
That’s not to say you should make these resources available on the SaaS platform only. Make them available on your SaaS site as well. After your SaaS tool, that’s probably the second place users will go to if they encounter some problems with your platform or simply have questions.
Do what Asana does:
That said, here are best practices to follow when it comes to customer support to ensure a good user experience:
- Chatbots - Implement AI-powered chatbots for instant assistance and issue resolution
- Knowledge bases - Create comprehensive knowledge bases with FAQs and troubleshooting guides
- Responsive support teams - Designate a responsive customer support team available through email or live chat
Ensuring easy access to support–both on the SaaS platform and the site—can help ensure user satisfaction, ultimately strengthening customer trust and loyalty.
Conclusion
Effective SaaS UX design processes can have a huge impact on your digital product success. It reduces customer churn rate and ensures a popular, easy-to-use SaaS application.
To ensure intuitive UX, simplify the user interface, design for multiple platforms, and give users access to an efficient search tool. Make sure you offer a simple onboarding experience, too. Plus, don’t forget to ensure easy access to support, both on your platform and site.
Now it’s your turn to apply these design principles in your software development and create an app that exceeds user expectations. Best of luck!
