What’s the value of a website or application with a great user experience?

This compelling question should be driving all product launch strategies. The answer could be worth a half-million dollars.

When TecEd presented at the 2011 Internet User Experience Conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan, we explored this very question which is still relevant today.

Our presentation about winning stakeholder support for UX research budgets shared findings from Forrester Research that show the overwhelming majority of today’s websites suffer from design flaws. And those design flaws weaken the bottom line. When users are frustrated or stopped in their tracks by a problem, it impacts the business by making it hard for customers to achieve goals like buying products, opening an account, or using self-service features.

In the case of ecommerce sites, for example, online shoppers will tolerate only one or two frustrating experiences before abandoning a retailer’s website.

And it is not just websites—any application or device interaction can benefit from UX research to inform and validate design decisions.

It only stands to follow that when usability testing and evaluation uncover issues, and then those bottlenecks are eliminated, the result is a positive return on testing investment (ROTI) for the website, application, or device.

A $500K Return on Testing Investment

Given the concept of ROTI, we read with interest a recent Forbes article that makes a dramatic case for UX research and a positive return on testing. The article is entitled “Improved Android User Experience Saves Half A Million Dollars.”

The article details how experience testing showed a company the importance of delivering devices whose Android experience adheres to “standards” or draws on familiar cues. Testing helped the company offer only devices with a favorable Android experience to their customers, resulting in fewer returns and lower support costs.

Positive ROTI = Satisfied Customers

With the proliferation and widespread adoption of mobile applications and devices, consumers are growing more impatient and fast-moving by the month. As they become more familiar with new technology and enjoy great experiences with applications and devices that have been “user road-tested,” they expect that same level of satisfaction from other applications and devices.

That means companies have just a few seconds to convert users into satisfied customers. If their application or device is confusing or performs poorly, users will immediately grow frustrated and resist using it—and will tell their friends and family not to use it too.

To avoid this scenario, comprehensive UX research in the form of application or device testing is critical. The results can help you deliver a great user experience and boost customer adoption, and achieve a positive return on testing investment. It’s a win-win situation.

Have any thoughts about the concept of ROTI? Care to work with TecEd to create a positive ROTI for your application or device? Contact TecEd today.