Every online business looks for ways to streamline the user experience. A user experience which prioritizes ease of access, a fluid visual experience, and an easy to follow shopping path will all contribute to a customer deciding to purchase a service or product. Creating this streamlined experience does not happen overnight though. There are certain tools that need to be used in order to create a cohesive user experience that will lead to purchase. Some of the best tools for this are session replay ones. There are pros and cons to using these tools, but the pros vastly outweigh the cons.
The Pros
There are a variety of advantages when it comes to using session replay tools. The first is that it allows an online business to view customer interactions in real time. As soon as a customer sees an advertisement on social media, and clicks on to the website for the product, their digital customer journey has begun. You can watch this journey, and see where customers are getting stuck in specific funnels. Sometimes a link will be broken, or it will go to the wrong landing page which means a bug is present. These bugs would not be caught if session replay tools were not used.
These tools can also be used to test out new content on the website or app. If a new product or service is being sold, then these new pages, buttons, and links will need to be assessed to ensure that they do not have bugs. All of the new features can be tested, and analyzed to ensure that customers are having the exact experience that you want them to have. A positive customer journey, which is not subject to any bugs is one that will lead to a shopping cart purchase.
The Cons
With so many pros surrounding the use of session replay tools, it can be difficult to see what any of the cons would be. Most of the cons surrounding the usage of these tools have to do with context. Unless there is a system built-in that allows an online business to collect customer demographics, it is unlikely that you, as a business owner will be able to interpret what kind of customer base you have. If you can have an understanding of your online consumer, then you can target your product or service towards this demographic using certain online marketing tools and platforms.
Another con is that it is incredibly time-consuming to watch a live session involving a customer journey from the moment they click on to a website or use an application to the point where they purchase or do not purchase a product or service. This requires manpower, and it may not be possible to watch customer journeys in large volumes. This means that tools which allow for big data synthesis will be necessary for seeing any potential trends in the customer journey.
Conclusion
Overall, the pros of using customer journey tools outweigh the cons, and give you and your online business the tools to enhance revenue by pinpointing areas that need to be debugged to create a cohesive user experience.
