How can you prioritize user journey improvements with stakeholders?

In every software business, there’s usually one or two user actions that drive most of the company’s economic value. These are the metrics that business stakeholders and executives will obsess over, and it’s vital for product managers and designers to understand them better than anyone in the company. There’s an entire user journey that surrounds these important actions. There are a set of user steps that lead up to the economic leverage, and there are a set of user steps that happen afterward to set it up all over again. This is usually the right way to talk about the user journey with your stakeholders: it’s a set of funnel steps that can drive value for the user and the business. And you, the PM or designer, know how to get there.

In my experience, when prioritizing user journey improvements with stakeholders, one thing I've found helpful is to collaborate in defining success metrics. Clear, agreed-upon success criteria, whether it's higher conversions, lower bounce rates, or improved user satisfaction, make prioritization more objective. Additionally, assessing the level of effort and required resources for each improvement is crucial. Prioritizing changes that can be implemented efficiently and offer substantial positive impacts strikes a balance between the desire for enhancements and practical considerations, ensuring that the most valuable improvements take precedence.

The user journey is crucial to test both positive and negative aspects the user may run into while using the product. It puts you in the role of the user and gives you a better understanding of their needs and the ways in which they’ll interact with the product you’ve created. Along with your personal perspective on the issues, it’s good to involve other people in the testing process - people with different preferences, so that each of them can navigate through the entire flow in their own way. This will give you insights into the pain points in your design and will highlight which parts need improvement.

Understand which touchpoints of the user journey are key to driving key performance indicators of the business that your stakeholder is responsible for. If you can find ways to optimize those key touchpoints and communicate how your UX improvements may positively impact their KPIs, then you've got a better chance of getting buy-in.

First and foremost, for video games, in order to pinpoint the user journey's weak points and potential improvement areas, it is imperative to collect data from analytics, usability testing, and player feedback. This in turn creating a roadmap that is in line with development resources and strategic objectives aids in directing the application improvements. This collaborative approach ensures that user journey improvements are not only aligned with the game's vision but also responsive to the dynamic nature of the player experience.

The most important thing is to find a balance and not lean too far in either direction. It’s not always best to pursue complete customer satisfaction at any cost, as doing so might compromise business objectives. The ideal situation is when both parties are entirely satisfied, but if not, aim to find a middle ground.

Setting the evaluation criteria is like laying out the rules for a good game. It's about deciding what's important, be it speed, creativity, or fairness. As an experienced evaluator, it's about creating clear goals that help us measure success and find ways to do better. Defining these criteria ensures our assessments are fair, consistent, and focused on making the user experience awesome.

Make it hurt. Put a dollar/euro amount next to the journey. Put numbers of likelihood to churn/drop-off. Potential upsell, business process efficiency. You need to talk in metrics that the business understands.

When defining evaluation criteria to prioritize user journey improvements, it is essential to consider the strategic leverage of these enhancements. Evaluate how each improvement will contribute to the long-term objectives of the company, such as customer retention, market expansion, and competitiveness. Incorporating continuous user feedback is crucial to ensure that the improvements meet real needs. Additionally, think about scalability and agility, assessing the long-term impact and the ability to adapt to changes. This ensures effective prioritization aligned with long-term success.

Things like the prioritization matrix or the Eisenhower Matrix are excellent tools that can help you easily identify which details require your utmost attention and what will enhance your product. The Eisenhower Matrix is made of four quadrants: Do, Schedule, Delegate, and Delete. Do: Tasks with deadlines or consequences. Schedule: Tasks with unclear deadlines that contribute to long-term success. Delegate: Tasks that must get done, but don’t require your specific skill set. Delete: Distractions and unnecessary tasks.

Also known as the Eisenhower Matrix, this is a 4 quadrant box method to figure out what is the most important stuff to take care of. The four parts as are follows: - The top left box is the "do" box. It is meant for everything to be done immediately. - The top right box is the "decide" box. It's meant for important work that is not necessarily needed as soon as possible. You can decide to do it at a later time. - The bottom left box is the "delegate" box. It's not super important and can be work you can delegate to someone else, since it still needs to be done quickly. - The bottom right box is neither important nor needs to be done quickly. This is the "delete" box.

Using a prioritization matrix is like planning an exciting trip. It's about finding the best routes, highlighting must-see spots, and uncovering shortcuts to the most impactful destinations. As a seasoned guide, it's a tool that helps us balance user needs and business goals, guiding our focus for the biggest impact. With this matrix, we allocate resources smartly, keeping our eyes on user happiness and our ultimate targets.

The prioritization matrix is undoubtedly a valuable tool, but the challenge lies in objectively plotting tasks within this matrix. To introduce a degree of objectivity, the Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) is useful. This tool is designed to sequence work in a manner that maximizes economic benefit. The formula it employs is straightforward: divide the cost of delay by the job duration (or size). The resulting value can then be used to effectively map tasks onto the prioritization matrix.

This is the most challenging part of the process, because it requires convincing stakeholders about all the necessary changes. There’s often limited understanding in this area, especially because stakeholders are not involved in the testing process, so they can be out-of-touch with reality. That’s why it’s essential to prepare strong arguments for this phase and be ready with responses to any questions from the other side.

Make sure that your stakeholders understand the true befitis of a good user journey. Explain the problem in details and be prepared to offer a potentional solution to it.

I've found it's about showing, not telling. In my experience nothing has communicated something faster than a heatmap or analytics journey view showing drop off. I've found heatmaps are an especially useful way of showing what works to non-technical stakeholders. Run tests, record the results, play them back visually and the stakeholders tend to draw the same conclusions.

Communication isn't just about relaying information; it's about fostering understanding. When aligning user journey improvements with stakeholders, it's crucial to remember that the 'why' often resonates more than the 'what.' It's less about listing features and more about painting a picture of the shared goal. Our job is to bridge the world of user needs with business objectives. When we frame our insights in a way that resonates with a stakeholder's perspective, we pave a smoother path to collaboration. Remember, it's not just about getting buy-in but cultivating a shared vision for a better user experience.

Communicating with stakeholders is like conducting an orchestra. It's about blending different perspectives to create a beautiful harmony. As a skilled conductor, I speak the language of each stakeholder, whether it's user experience, business goals, or technical feasibility. It's about building trust and keeping everyone in sync with our UX progress. Through effective communication, we highlight the value of our user journey improvements, fostering a sense of teamwork and shared ownership among all involved.

It involves clear communication. For example, in an e-commerce platform, data might reveal that checkout process optimization is critical due to a high cart abandonment rate. By demonstrating how this change can increase conversion rates and revenue, stakeholders can be convinced of the priority. Additionally, A/B testing could show tangible improvements, reinforcing the decision to focus on the checkout journey. In this way, data-driven reasoning and measurable results are key to aligning stakeholder interests with user journey improvements.

Prioritizing user journey improvements with stakeholders involves data gathering, user journey mapping, setting clear goals, involving stakeholders, impact analysis, and applying prioritization frameworks. The process ensures alignment with business goals, efficient resource allocation, and continuous improvement based on user feedback and evolving needs.

In the process of prioritizing user journey improvements, it's essential to foster collaboration and empathy among the team and stakeholders. Encouraging open communication and active listening helps ensure that different perspectives are considered. Additionally, don't overlook the importance of user testing and feedback loops after implementing improvements. User journeys evolve, and continuous monitoring and iteration are key to maintaining a user-centric approach. Remember, the user journey is a dynamic experience that requires ongoing attention and adaptation.