Designing for Micro-Moments: UX That Converts
The mobile world is constantly evolving. We live in a digital world where user experience is everything. Businesses strive to make usable, highly interactive and user-friendly applications. They incorporate micro-moments into their mobile applications at various touchpoints to enhance their user experience. Developers integrate AI in mobile App UX to enhance customer experience.
But what are Micro-Moments? Why are they important for UX? How are companies including micro-moments into mobile app UX, and how do they benefit from it? Let’s dive into it in this article.
What are Micro-Moments in UX?
Micro-moments are the tiniest actions taken by users on a mobile app or a website. Users can browse anything, navigate across the app and have millions of micro moments within a few minutes.
Developers integrate micro-moments across the user journey, beginning from sign-in to placing an order/completing an action. Integrating micro-moments in mobile apps can significantly improve the user experience that drives them to complete an action, i.e., making a purchase. Hence, embedding micro-moments in UX leads to more conversions.
Customers have a wide range of options when it comes to choosing brands. A mobile app with good UX (user experience) will offer better usability to users. The brands that integrate micro-moments in the mobile application UX will have a better opportunity to compel customers to take action on the app.
How Google Defines Micro-Moments?
All the inventions derive from necessity. If there is a demand in the market, businesses strive to be the first to launch the product that meets customer demands in the market.
Micro-moments are intent-driven, brief moments when users turn to their smartphone devices to fulfil a specific desire or need. There are four primary types of micro moments acknowledged by Google, each having its unique user intent and characteristics –
- There are “I want to know” moments, where users are trying to find answers to a specific question or seek information. For example, searching for news, educational content, specific events, etc
- There are “I want to go” moments, where users try to search for places to visit, like finding a location on a mobile app.
- There are “I want to do” moments where users are looking to complete a specific activity or task. Some examples include looking for a food recipe on apps, a workout routine or DIY tutorials.
- There are “I want to buy” moments where users are exploring purchase options. This may include users comparing product prices, reading product reviews, and checking product availability.
Examples of Micro Moments: How Do They Improve User Experience
At airports, airlines provide boarding passes which contain details of the boarding gate, flight boarding point and destination details. Passengers often forget their boarding gate and repeatedly take out their boarding passes to check the details. They are constantly anxious about air travel, especially the fear of missing the flight.
Now, airline companies can track and record customers’ preferences and pain points. They can add real-time boarding gate information in the mobile app. It will allow passengers to be aware of their boarding gate information up until the last minute. This is an “I-want-to-know” moment where passengers can find their boarding gate information as quickly as possible. Just in seconds. This will reduce their anxiety and make the travel even friendlier.
Adding real-time boarding gate information for every passenger (depending on their flight details) is a Micro-Moment.
What Should You Do as a Developer?
Now that you have understood what micro-moments are and how they make the user journey and experience better, let’s dive into the next steps. Mobile app development companies thoroughly research market trends to embed new UX touchpoints in mobile apps. You can integrate micro-moments in mobile apps by observing the trends, researching customers’ convenience, prioritising entertainment in mobile apps and making customers aware of the status of their interactions within the app.
Let’s discuss them in detail –
Research About The Latest Trends
The first step for designers is to conduct comprehensive research in this ever-changing universe where innovation is paramount. UX designers should research the latest trends in the market, especially regarding mobile apps and UX design. By understanding the audience’s needs and mindsets, developers can embed the latest trends in the mobile apps using micro-moments to their advantage.
Add New/Modify Micro-Moments
Customers use the mobile applications according to their own will. If the mobile app interface is intuitive, user-friendly and appealing, it makes it highly convenient for users to perform various actions. To enhance mobile app friendliness and user interaction, designers should modify the micro-moments that make customer interactions convenient and pleasant. Designers can conduct customer interviews to learn about the customers’ pain points and areas of friction in the mobile app.
Entertainment Should Not Be Overlooked
Customers increasingly use mobile applications, whether they are sitting in a restaurant, a public bus, etc. Mobile apps are a source of entertainment for customers. It is the job of the developers to ensure that users stay engaged and interested in the app while interacting. Hence, there is utmost importance of the entertainment factor while designing a mobile app interface. Adding simple micro animations in the mobile app, such as rollover effect, hover effect, etc., keeps the users glued to the screens.
Make Customers Aware of Interactions
Making customers aware of their interactions on the mobile app is possible through micro moments. For example, have you ever noticed the Facebook like button that sparkles upon clicking and is filled with blue colour? This micro-interaction is a micro-moment that shows users that their action is completed and recorded in the app.
To Sum Up
Micro-moments deliver easy-to-digest, immediate information to users. Developers should understand the emotional state, triggers and goals of the users before embedding micro-moments within the mobile app. Adding micro-moment interactions in the mobile app helps in building user loyalty and trust. It will also differentiate your brand from competitors by meeting urgent customer needs.
Micro interactions allow timely interventions that drive conversions. Micro moments in mobile apps allow UX teams to design for the fast-paced user behaviour. They can focus on the critical moments based on which brands can deliver a relevant and timely experience to customers that drives action and loyalty. VerveLogic, a leading mobile app development company in India, encourages you to hire our developers to make your mobile apps highly responsive with micro-moments.
