UI and UX Optimization for Efficient Software Modernization [Case Study]

Over the past 10 years, the world has gone fully digital! Just think about it – when was the last time you interacted with a company without using your desktop or smartphone? Probably not in a while, right? Well, you're not alone! Every company out there has jumped on the digital train, and it's changed the way we do everything. 

Gone are the days when only the giants of the software world invested in creating amazing digital experiences. Now, every business is in the UX optimization game. Why? Well, in this hyper-competitive landscape, no one can afford to mess up the customer experience. Even small, thoughtful changes in how users interact with your app can have a massive impact on their satisfaction, behavior, and your revenue. 

According to Forrester, modern UI design can turbocharge your conversions by up to 200%. In this article, we'll help you spot if your app or website needs urgent user experience optimization, and give you the lowdown on the best practices of effective software modernization. 

Let’s get started. 

The principles of modern software design

While every case has its unique aspects, some fundamental principles of modern UI design are universally applicable.

Consistency

Consistency means that within the same brand or product family, everything should look and work consistently across all pages and screens. For example, Google Meet or Gmail are using the same Material design system, making it easier for Google to hook you on other services if you already use one. 

But it's not just about appearances; it's also about meeting your users' expectations. Let's say you're crafting a spreadsheet app. Your users already have ideas about how it should work, thanks to apps like Excel or Google Spreadsheets. You don't have to copy them, but you also don't want to reinvent the whole app user experience.

Hierarchy

Hierarchy makes or breaks how users navigate a product. It's like the modern UI map that guides the user journey. There are two sides to this coin. 

First, there's information architecture – the grand plan of your website or app, organized from top to bottom. For example, in a website menu the main sections are upfront, while the details are deeper down. It's the roadmap that feels so natural we often forget it's there. 

Then comes visual hierarchy – the eye-catching tricks that help users within a page or section. Big headings, bold fonts, and colorful buttons guide users' attention, ensuring they find what matters most.  

User control

User control makes sure your users don't feel trapped. It gives them the power to correct mistakes and navigate with ease. Imagine having an "Undo" button for life's slip-ups; that's what it's all about.

In the realm of web UX design, it means letting users backtrack if they've gone too deep into a website's hierarchy. It's having a "Cancel" button for when they change their minds about that email or event. And for the tech-savvy experts, it means offering keyboard shortcuts and clever tools to boost efficiency. 

Usability

Usability makes a website a well-oiled machine, where everything just clicks into place. Fast loading times, concise content, and device adaptability are signs of good usability and UI optimization. 

We often measure web app design usability by tracking the number of clicks needed to accomplish a task. A highly usable app typically demands just a handful of clicks to get the job done. In contrast, low usability can result in users having to click through an ocean of options, or worse, struggling to locate the necessary choices altogether.  

Responsiveness

In a mobile-dominated world, responsiveness is the golden rule. With over 58% of traffic coming from mobile devices, your design must shine on screens of all sizes. Responsive app design is one of the key mobile UI/UX trends that ensures effortless adaptation of your website to different devices. It rearranges content for a flawless appearance, whether you're on a massive desktop or a tiny smartphone.

Responsive and modern UI design relies on flexible grids, layouts, and CSS, making the switch between devices seamless and automatic. Importantly, responsive design is also critical for web accessibility, as members of the disability community rely on their mobile phones to interact with websites. You can use a web accessibility checker to test whether your site is responsive.

Does your website or app need UX optimization?

Now that you've got a grasp of the fundamental design principles for your website or app, it's time to gauge whether you need software modernization. In this section, we'll spotlight the telltale signs that signal it might be high time to improve the UI/UX of your website or product. 

Poor conversion rates

Your website or app should be a business magnet. But if it's converting less than 2% of your visitors into actual sales, leads, or opportunities, it's waving a big, red warning flag. There's always a culprit behind this underperformance, whether it's fuzzy messaging, weak calls-to-action, or sneaky bottlenecks in the user experience. Even a tiny hiccup could be robbing your business of valuable opportunities. 

High bounce rates

Bounce rate is one of the most important UX KPIs – it measures how many visitors landed on a page and promptly bid adieu to your website. When visitors hit your site and quickly exit, it's a red flag. Monitoring bounce rates in Google Analytics is essential, as they can harm your search engine rankings and undo your SEO efforts. Common culprits include unclear user intent, slow loading times, poorly optimized content, the absence of site search, and a lack of internal links. 

Lack of user engagement

Are your visitors reading, sharing, and engaging with content? If the answer leans toward 'No' or "Not sure," there might be some lurking UX issues with your content. These issues could encompass readability, cognitive load, content usefulness, and findability. A UX audit, complete with eye-tracking, heatmaps, and scrollmaps, could clarify usability problems and help improve user experience. And don't forget the interviews with your users; they might hold the key to new content opportunities. 

Repetitive search queries

If you're seeing a ton of repetitive search queries, it's a flashing signal that users might be struggling to find what they need. Dive into the search logs. What are users looking for, and are they actually finding it? When similar keywords yield different results, it's time to investigate. Hidden or missing information could be the cause of the problem. Embracing UI/UX best practices is key – ignoring them might just invite a fresh batch of problems.

Low task success rate

Task success rate is one of the key UX KPIs – it measures the percentage of users who can actually complete a specific task on your website or app. If it's dipping, that's a clear sign that users are facing hurdles in achieving their goals. Research suggests aiming for a 78% task success rate, so when it falls short, it's time to roll up your sleeves and improve the website UX.  

UX optimization best practices

In this section, we'll delve into a bit more detail into the user experience optimization best practices that will help you get your UX to new levels. 

Analyze data

The first step of UX optimization is to dive into behavioral UX data. That's all the numbers from your app and web analytics - how long people use your app, how often they open it, and more. This data unveils clues about what's working and what's not. 

Next, combine those stats with insights from market research, customer interviews, and focus groups. This gives you the full picture of where your UX needs a boost. 

Think about the resources

Then, think about what you need: the kind of features you want, how many screens need a facelift, who your audience is, and what upgrades are in the pipeline. These details aren't just for show; they'll help you figure out the costs of application modernization services. 

If you're just tweaking a UI component, it won't break the bank. But if you're going all out with advanced features, be prepared for a bit more spending. And don't forget about scaling – making your app shine on different devices comes with extra costs too. Your development partner will be there to help you estimate the numbers and plan your UX optimization budget. 

Choose the right tech stack

Selecting the right technologies for your business is like picking the perfect tools for a job. Sometimes, companies rush into adopting trendy tech without considering whether it aligns with their goals. This can lead to unstable solutions that hinder app user experience down the road. 

Instead, focus on a tech stack that serves your business objectives and ensures a robust frontend for your application. Our UX and UI design services professionals will leverage their expertise to carefully assess your business needs and select the suitable and future-proof tech stack for your product or website. 

Test

Testing is one of the most important software design best practices. It comes in various flavors: User Acceptance Testing (UAT), where real users provide feedback by performing tasks; A/B tests that pit different app versions against each other; and usability testing, where specialists analyze user interactions. These methods help you ensure that changes are rigorously evaluated before going live. Apiko’s UI/UX design services include rigorous testing methodologies, ensuring that every change and improvement is thoroughly evaluated to deliver the best possible user experience. 

UX optimization case studies

In this section, let's dive into real-world examples of UI/UX optimization in action. 

Minfin

The Minfin app is a perfect case of user-centric fintech app development. Its main screen provides real-time average rates at Ukrainian banks and exchange offices. This mobile banking app enables users to effortlessly navigate exchange rate dynamics, customize periods and sources, and access detailed graphs. A handy currency converter simplifies calculations, while the app's map feature locates nearby banks and offices for currency exchange. 

New Voice

New Voice is a remarkable example of digital transformation in media. Apiko was requested to debug the news app and develop a podcast app from scratch. The team eliminated bugs, thoughtfully crafted in-app navigation, introduced deep linking to guide users through app screens with URLs, and kept subscribers informed with push notifications. Podcast and news app development and modernization resulted in a 6.8% boost in premium subscribers, drawing in 8,000 monthly active users who clocked an impressive 160,000 monthly sessions. 

Conexwest

Conexwest, a leader in the construction industry, was struggling with an outdated app – even the buttons were so tiny that the workers struggled to use it comfortably. So, we stepped in with UI/UX design services that put the user front and center. Our mobile app redesign made everything easy to find, with big, clear buttons and a logical layout. Plus, we added specialized tools like a Gantt chart, holiday scheduling, and HR management features. As a result, UX optimization turned the app into a user-friendly solution and gave project managers and HR teams the tools they needed to run construction projects smoothly. 

Conclusion

The benefits of UX optimization are crystal clear. When you make users the heart of your design, you follow the path of usability, consistency, and user control. Modern UI and UX will help you enhance conversion rates, slash bounce rates, and boost engagement. It's like planting a seed that grows into a tree of user satisfaction and business growth. 

If you’d like to discuss your legacy application modernization or any other project that requires app design services, don’t hesitate to contact Apiko today!