How Do You Describe Product Experience?

On the surface, product experience seems self-explanatory -- after all, the name suggests that it’s just the user’s experience with the product. But there’s so much more to the product experience meaning than that. In short, the user’s product experience is influenced by everything relating to that product. In addition to the product itself, product awareness comprises marketing, packaging, digital assets, word of mouth spread, and social media engagement. Product experience is a perpetual entity that begins at the awareness phase, continuing on well after the product has been purchased.

What Is the Value of Product Experience?

A product can’t just exist. It has to meet people’s needs. It has to resolve customer pain points quickly and in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Exceptionally valuable product experiences are described as delightful and intuitive.

In addition, consumers need to know about your product. That means it has to be front and center. That doesn’t just mean it’s visible on store shelves, either. It has to be backed by an immersive presentation that entices shoppers to learn more. You have to give customers the information they need to evaluate your product, compare it with other items on the market, and check out the buzz on social media. Once all of that is done, interested consumers need to know that your product is the best solution for them, and they need to understand why they’re buying your product. These are all vital elements of a well-crafted product experience strategy.

However, product experience management doesn't end with the sale. A dazzling marketing scheme that’s followed up by a clunky onboarding process, or non-existent customer support, will ensure that frustrated consumers will never support your brand again. Worse yet, you might not even know the extent to which you’ve alienated an unhappy customer. As per Esteban Kolsky, only one of every 26 unsatisfied customers will complain about their subpar experience. The other disgruntled consumers -- the remaining 25 people -- won’t say a word. They’ll just shop elsewhere next time.

Brands that provide a stellar product experience reap significant rewards. Nearly three-quarters of satisfied customers will share that experience with at least six people. This is the era of the customer experience, in which how people feel is even more important than price. A great product experience is an essential part of the customer experience. When you give consumers a good experience, they’ll likely be back for more.

How Do You Evaluate Product Experience?

Product experience can be difficult to measure. As we saw with the unhappy customers, you might never know that your product experience is lacking. That’s why you can’t merely assume your product experience is superb. Instead, you have to go out and seek out the data that will shape your product experience for the future.

The first thing you should do to evaluate product experience is to map out the entire customer journey. This might not seem relevant to an internal assessment, but it’s the most important thing you can do. Without this roadmap, you are essentially flying blind. You need to understand the decision points that customers will face along their paths to purchase, and how they will respond to those points. If you don’t know how a customer behaves, how can you properly evaluate their experience with your product?

Once you know what drives consumers to act, you need to make sure they remain satisfied. You can do this through both qualitative and quantitative feedback. Quantitative feedback will come directly from the roadmap you’ve just created. At every decision point, you’ll see how many people move towards your product, and you’ll also discover how they further their relationship with your product. Over time, you’ll establish benchmarks that will clue you into aspects of your process that aren’t working. Incorporate that feedback by tweaking the product experience so that shoppers respond more favorably.

Qualitative feedback can be a bit tougher to obtain, and it may also be harder to aggregate. Consumer interviews will give you the kind of feedback that doesn’t fit nicely into rating scales or surveys. Monitor your social media platforms to assess the conversations around your brand and your product. If people leave feedback of any type, it should be incorporated into your product experience strategy. When you notice positive product experience examples, keep doing what you’re doing! And when you find that the feedback shows you’re missing the mark, go back to your metrics and figure out where you may need to make a change.

What Does a Product Experience Manager Do?

The elements of the product experience are overseen by a product experience manager. The product experience manager's role is essential in creating and maintaining products that not only meet users' needs but also provide a delightful and satisfying experience throughout the entire user journey. Their efforts contribute to user satisfaction, loyalty, and business success.

The product experience manager has two main areas of focus. One is the product experience itself. The other deals with understanding customer expectations, and regularly modifying the approach in an attempt to deliver the best product experience possible. This latter task requires constant attention to changing consumer tastes, as well as the ability to quickly pivot in response to changes in the marketplace. A good product experience manager understands why customers act as they do, and can adapt as needed.