Based on a survey of almost 200 digital and ecommerce professionals, the Australia User Experience Report looks at the extent to which Australian companies are committed to delivering a good user experience.

The research found that three-quarters (74%) of respondents say their companies are committed to delivering the best possible online user experience, including 17% who say they are ‘seriously committed’.

A huge 96% of respondents agreed that user experience must lead all marketing and ecommerce efforts.

 

Although respondents understand the importance of good UX, the report indicates that technology and skills barriers are preventing investment which could lead to improvements in the user experience across their digital properties.

Almost half of client-side respondents (48%) said that technology platform issues were a significant barrier to investment, while 42% said that ‘lack of staff to make the most of any user experience investment’ was a major obstacle.

Barriers to UX investment

Methodology note: respondents could check up to three options

Inconsistent and basic user experience is exacerbated by a lack of budget which, alongside a lack of specialist skills, has led to most companies not using any UX-related technology beyond analytics and personalisation.

There is an apparent contradiction in that although 100% of respondents agree that reliable web hosting is a foundational pillar of the online user experience, only 28% said they were using standard hosting when asked about their use of UX-related technologies.

The co-operation needed between different departments to create a great digital experience is a theme emerging from the research. It is encouraging that 44% believe ownership for UX lies with a mix of senior managers, and that 87% disagree that UX technology ownership belongs predominantly within the IT department.