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Real-time technology makes information available to users exactly as it happens.
This means that users don’t need to refresh a page to see the changes since the changes happen instantly.
It makes users’ lives easier by sending the updates, responses or notifications they need without having to search for them. Real-time technology is the perfect tool to improve user experience. Features such as in-app notifications and real-time messaging can increase your responsiveness and show your users that their input and opinions are valued – and showing your users that you are present is the ultimate way to improve their user experience.
Choosing which features to use can be challenging. Depending on the purpose of your business, having all real-time technology features may not guarantee your desired outcome. Lucky for you, we are here to list some of the most effective ones, so you can decide which fit you the best.
Grabbing Users’ Attention
To be able to prove that you provide a good user experience, you first need to ensure that your website or app is getting traffic. Aside from initial marketing efforts, the next important step is reminding users about your existence. This can be easily achieved with the use of notifications.
Recent studies show that sudden appearances of information grab a users’ attention more effectively than already available information. Sudden pop-ups are more likely to spark interest among users. The average young adult checks their phone about 74 times per day, and on average, receive up to 85 notifications per day. It is no secret that notifications are a nudge to checking one’s phone. So, if your goal is to increase user engagement, notifications are the way to go. There are different types of notifications, and they have different impacts on users’ behavior.
In-App Notifications
Keeping your users updated is beneficial to both them and yourself. What is an in-app notification? While the user is in the app, these notifications may ask them to rate your app or send them a message from your support staff to let them know you can help them. Responsiveness is one of the most valuable elements in improving your users’ experience, and those notifications can increase your user engagement.
The content of your in-app notifications should be carefully analyzed. One small mistake can cost you a potential customer, so you should take into account their personal interests. Personalized notifications can do wonders when it comes to improving user experience. You can also use royalty-free emojis and special offers to make your notifications more effective.
Push Notifications
Having a push notification service will help you retain your users by reminding them of your existence. How do push notifications work? Unlike in-app notifications, mobile push notifications happen while the user is not inside the app. They can nudge users to take action, thereby increasing end-user engagement.
However, there are some useful tips you need to know about push notifications. To avoid coming across as over-selling to your users, these notifications shouldn’t happen too often. It is also important to take into account the location and time zones of your users, to ensure the notifications are working effectively. Lastly, just like in-app notifications, push notifications should consider the past actions of users to better meet their individual interests.
Improving User Experience
Now that you’ve grabbed the attention of your users, it is time to improve their experience, which will increase your user retention rate. The value you create for them is one of the determinants of their behavior. With real-time technologies, you can show your users that you care about them and want to give them what they need. In this case, the value lies in making users’ lives easier by providing them with the information they didn’t know they needed. One of the sure-fire ways of ensuring the high performance and the great user experience is by using cross-platform app development.
Here’s a list of features that will come in handy when it comes to making your users’ lives easier.
Live Chat Feature on Website
Ensuring your website gets traffic is one thing, while increasing user engagement on website is a different story. The good news for you is we are here to teach you techniques to improve user experience.
Support is of utmost importance when it comes to pleasing your users. A simple message box in the corner of your website can easily do the trick and engage your website visitors. Knowing that at any moment the user can ask a question and receive an immediate answer helps develop trust and create loyal customers.
In this day and age, saving time is essential. By making your users feel that you value their time and are quickly responsive to their needs, you will give them a user experience to remember, and that is key in staying on top of your competition.
Custom chatbot development services can help you build chatbots which interact with your customers in a very human-like manner, making sure you don’t miss any lead inquiries or support questions.
Live Order Status
This feature is mostly for e-commerce businesses. It is no secret that Uber or Postmates have had exceptional success in the past decade. Their success is due to their ability to adapt to new technologies and meet the wants and needs of their customers, and punctually. Besides the fact that they minimize the necessity for face-to-face interaction, these companies give their customers live updates on their orders. These details are seemingly small, but in reality, they are industry game changers – they give users a sense of personalization and are encouraged to turn to your product or service when it comes to future orders.
Giving users live updates, whether it is through push notifications or in-app messages, is one of the keys to achieving success in this era of technology. Visual updates are even more effective and let users get a complete grasp of what you are telling them. In the case of Uber, seeing that the driver is getting closer and closer to them lets users manage their time better, and with Postmates, telling the user that their order has been picked up and will be at their door in fifteen minutes can be a stimulant to getting ready to eat. Overall, showing your user that you care about them is one of the most pleasing experiences they can have.
Real-Time Feed
Not having to refresh a page to get new content is a delightful feature for a user. Especially for traders, a real-time news feed can improve their productivity by miles. To go even further, real-time data analytics that allows users to get insights only milliseconds after the data enters the system is a crucial factor in improving user experience. Not only that, but thanks to real-time technology, many people are able to make a living as remote workers.
Additionally, businesses rely on up-to-date insights, especially for their websites. Google Analytics is the most widely used web analytics tool on the market. It allows you to track all activities on your website and analyzes the data to give you valuable information. In a matter of seconds, you can know any statistic you want to with the help of real-time web analytics. You can find out which feature of your website may be confusing by seeing how many people come close, but never actually take action – and you can track the actions that lead to having more loyal customers, or even find out which feature of your app engages users most. This information is crucial in understanding your users and understanding their behaviors is key in helping you improve their experience.
Multi-User Collaboration
Google is one of the companies that has capitalized on this feature. Apps like Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets, and Google Slides stand out for obvious reasons. Their use of real-time
technologies allows them to provide a platform where multiple users can simultaneously edit, delete, and view files.
Not only has this feature made the lives of students easier, but it has created the perfect foundation for virtual teams to work together efficiently. There is no more need to download a file, edit it, send it back, and wait for feedback. Updates and changes taking place are seen instantly, and such platforms allow for immediate feedback – saving users time and creating immense value for them.
Live Streaming
Nowadays, integrated more towards gaming, entertainment, and logistics, live streaming is a significant value-adding feature. Some examples include Twitch and Periscope. Twitch allows gamers to live stream their videos and get paid for it, and Periscope was one of the first applications that utilized live streaming and capitalized on it. Later, other companies also adopted the feature and improved their user experience with it. Instagram started allowing users to post live videos, which is a valuable feature for influencers on the platform. They also combined it with multi-user collaboration and allowed users to do live videos with other users.
The real-time technology features are making a huge impact on people’s lives without them even realizing it, and for good reason. The features listed above have proven to be effective in increasing user engagement and improving their user experience. Notifications are one of the main tools that grasp users’ attention and ensure traffic, and there are numerous tools that improve user experience by making customers feel valued and cared for. The main aim with adapting real-time technology features to your business is to help users save time and make their lives easier, and by doing so, you can achieve customer intimacy and, ultimately, increase your customer retention rate.
