UX vs. CX: Their Meanings and Importance

There are a lot of buzzwords and terms in technology that make it difficult for the average user to cut through the hype and identify the heartbeat of a matter. The meaning of CX versus UX falls within this category.

To the layman, CX and UX appear to be synonyms of each other because they’re often used that way. Those who do use both terms interchangeably can be forgiven because there’s overlap between the two.

However, there exist both subtle and significant differences between CX and UX. In this article, we highlight those differences by separating the two so you can gain a better understanding of each.

What is CX?

CX’s meaning, as we mentioned above, is “customer experience.” And the “customer experience” definition, broadly, is the overall experience an individual has when they encounter a brand. It encompasses the entire spectrum of interactions an individual has with an organization or brand, and the resulting effect it has on their future behavior.

According to the usability experts, Nielsen Norman Group (NNG), CX is “the totality of the interactions that a user has with an organization over time.”

As a result, it measures the likelihood of whether a person will continue to pursue interactions with that brand, and whether they’ll be inclined to recommend it to others. For instance, if a brand leaves a bad taste in your mouth, it’ll probably reduce the likelihood of repeat purchases or recommendations to others.

In summary, CX is a cumulative effect and impacts how consumers discern or judge a relationship with a brand.

What is UX?

UX stands for “user experience” and “refers to the quality of the user’s interaction with and perceptions of a system.” Hence, UX concerns itself with the usability of a product. It defines the relationship between the product and the individual using it.

It occurs when a user goes through a specific interaction with a product. UX is a stand-alone phenomenon, mostly dealing with self-contained processes that involve completing a desired task.

Examples of UX include buying an item, submitting a form, finding information on a website, or setting up equipment.

Those who study UX design primarily concern themselves with how to delight the user by creating products with minimal friction.

What’s the difference between CX vs. UX?

The best way to understand the difference between UX and CX’s meaning is with a bit of Set Theory. CX and UX aren’t unions of each other. Rather, UX is a subset within the larger framework of CX. Nevertheless, UX is a vital component of CX. Furthermore, UX is a specific component of CX that focuses on the usability of a product, website, or app.

However, the Nielsen Norman Group says UX “encompasses all aspects of the end-users interaction with the company, its services, and its products.” If their definition sounds a lot like CX, that’s because UX was originally conceived to “describe the totality of the interactions that users have with an organization.”

The Nielsen Norman Group therefore points out that UX was initially proposed in an era before the advent of computers, well before digital communication became the vogue. However, UX has since morphed into a distinct, albeit more limited category. And this narrower, limited niche evolved to be defined as UX over a period of time.

In contrast with CX’s meaning, UX is focused on interaction-level experience. It involves designing the experience around a single interaction a customer engages with a product or service of a company.

On the other hand, CX is the long-term impact a brand has on a customer and a phenomenon that is macro in its scope.

Varying scopes of user interaction

To understand the contrast and similarity between CX and UX, they must be seen through various prisms of interaction. NNG specifies that user experience and the relationship between a person and a brand across a lifetime functions at three levels:

• The single interaction level: Related to the experience a user has using a single product, feature, or device to perform a task
• The journey level: Captures the experience as the customer uses the product to accomplish a goal, probably over multiple brand channels
• The relationship level: The totality of the interactions between the customer and the brand, usually over the lifetime of the customer relationship

Why is CX important?

CX is important because it’s an all-encompassing dragnet of a consumer’s experience that covers their interactions, impressions, and experiences. It gauges the cumulative impact of the exposure a brand has on a consumer.

It’s important to pay attention to CX as it has a huge impact on the success of your business. As Apple iPhones have shown, consumers are willing to pay a premium for outstanding customer experience.

According to the research firm Forrester, customers are willing to pay as much as 4.5 times more for a product if they perceive the customer experience to be good. Moreover, companies that provide users with excellent customer experience generally grow 5x faster than those that don’t.

Why is UX important?

UX is equally important to consumers, with a whopping 80% of customers placing value on user experience. A good user experience provides uninhibited, effective, and enjoyable use of a product.

But UX also transcends product design. This is because no matter how beautiful you build your product or website, it isn’t of much value to users if they can’t easily navigate it or find what they’re looking for.

However, with a site or product that’s easy to use, customers will have a positive experience and will be encouraged to keep coming back.

Boost your brand’s UX and CX with Lytics

Customer experience and user experience are two distinct concepts that are nevertheless critical to your business growth. While UX is more specific and narrowly focused on a particular site or app, CX covers the whole experience of a customer with all the channels of a brand over a period of time.

Lytics specializes in helping marketers build personalized digital experiences by focusing on data science and behavioral data. Contact us to learn how we can help you boost your brand’s user and customer experience.