ROI of an Optimised User Experience
Optimising the user experience is not limited to aesthetic or ergonomic concerns, nor to e-commerce alone: it applies to
every digital interface,
from line-of-business applications and collaborative platforms to online public services, SaaS tools, and connected devices.
Across all these environments,
UX quality acts as an accelerator of performance and competitiveness.
By streamlining user journeys, clarifying interfaces, and making every interaction more relevant, the company activates
three measurable levers:
- Driving growth (higher conversions, greater adoption, better use of key features)
- Reducing costs (less friction, fewer support requests, fewer errors)
- Strengthening loyalty (better experience, greater user retention)
Drawing on work by international experts, here are
quantified benefits commonly observed when delivering an optimised user experience:
Measurable Improvements in Business Metrics
Jakob Nielsen, a global leader in Usability Research, has demonstrated the substantial impact of a structured approach to interface evaluation and optimisation.
In a study of 42 redesign projects measured before and after intervention, improvements in usability led to
average performance gains of between 83% and 135%.
These gains translate directly into increased productivity, significant increases in conversion rates, and stronger overall satisfaction.
Nielsen also recommends allocating about 10% of the total development budget to upfront research and evaluation, a ratio that helps anticipate interaction issues before they become expensive to fix.
In short, Nielsen shows that Usability Research
strengthens interface reliability, accelerates critical user paths, and improves the long-term effectiveness of digital projects.
Cost Reduction and Operational Gains
Jared Spool illustrates the power of Usability Research with a now-iconic example.
During a usability test, his team discovered that a simple sign-in form was blocking users in the purchase flow.
After replacing that form with a simpler
'Continue' button, the results were striking:
45% more conversions, generating $300 million in additional revenue in one year. This shows how targeted adjustments, identified through observation of real usage, can produce an immediate, material economic impact.
Prioritize Methodically: (Value ÷ Effort) × Confidence = Priority
Spool also developed a practical approach for prioritising UX actions. His model —
(Value ÷ Effort) × Confidence = Priority — helps teams identify the improvements that will deliver the
greatest impact while consuming the fewest resources.
It reduces development costs and speeds delivery of the most valuable enhancements, avoiding wasted time and budget on secondary optimisations.
(Value ÷ Effort) × Confidence = Priority
Lower Support Costs Through Proactive Research
In another piece, Spool emphasises the role of proactive research. Conducting Usability Research upfront can halve customer support needs by eliminating points of friction before launch.
Companies that adopt this practice save on assistance costs and avoid late-stage fixes, which are often far more expensive.
This demonstrates how a user-centered approach is not an extra expense but an
investment that directly reduces operating costs.
Strategic Cost Reduction and Performance Gains
Susan Weinschenk, a psychologist who specialises in applying behavioral science to digital design, has shown that a problem found after release can cost up to 100× more to fix than if it had been detected earlier through user research.
Her work also highlights that developers spend
nearly 50% of their time fixing avoidable errors, a burden that can be drastically reduced with a
systematic, user-centred approach undertaken early.
Weinschenk recommends treating early-stage research not as an extra cost but as a driver of
sustained economic efficiency,
lowering maintenance expenses, reducing development time, and increasing overall productivity.
Justifying the ROI of Usability Research
Deborah J. Mayhew, expert in Usability Engineering, and co-editor Randolph G. Bias, created Cost-Justifying Usabilityas a handbook for demonstrating the measurable return on Usability Research to decision-makers.
Their work blends methodological frameworks with concrete case studies.
- Historically documented ROI: $1 invested in usability can yield $10 in benefit, a frequently cited ratio whose methodology is detailed in chapters on cost justification.
- Significant cost avoidance: Investing in user experience at the design stage prevents a large share of rework, which can otherwise reach nearly half of the final budget when tackled too late.
- Adaptable ROI frameworks: The book provides ROI calculations tailored to e-commerce, internal systems, and more, making it easier to align benefits with project realities.
Building on Don Norman’s human-centered foundations, Mayhew and Bias add a rigorous economic dimension: Usability Research is a quantifiable strategic investment that improves user experience while optimising a company’s economic resources.
Maximising the Impact of User Research
Weidan Li, Senior UX Researcher at SEEK, represents a new generation extending Don Norman’s vision by showing that Usability Research is a measurable strategic investment.
In work published with Optimal Workshop, Li develops the concept of 'Efficient Research', maximising research impact while reducing time and cost.
Short, targeted cycles can produce tangible, quantified
benefits: domain studies indicate
that every $1 invested in Usability Research can return between $10 and $100 in value.
Early integration of user research can increase team productivity by up to 161% and boost conversion rates by over 80%after a redesign.
By promoting agile, iterative research, Li shows that Usability Research can be fast, cost-efficient, and sustainable, accelerating projects, reducing risk, and improving both user outcomes and financial results.
Efficient Research: Maximising the ROI of Understanding Your Customers
From Then to Now: Lessons That Still Hold
Whether it’s Nielsen’s foundational work, Mayhew & Bias’s economic analyses, or Li’s more recent approaches, all show that Usability Research rests on universal human principles: cognition, perception, mental workload, and emotional behavior.
These mechanisms did not change with the rise of SaaS, mobile, or AI.
What has evolved are the application contexts and methodological maturity, but the
figures remain consistent:
$1 invested can generate $10 to $100 in value; correction costs drop by 30–50% when you act early; and productivity can jump by over 100% after a redesign.
These results endure because they’re grounded in human nature, not in passing technology.
In other words, Usability Research is not a trend: it is a durable strategic investment, ensuring sustained economic performance, operational efficiency, and high-quality user experiences, yesterday and today.
UXPrime — An Innovative, Cost-Effective Solution for Optimising the User Experience
Developed
in partnership with
Toluna,
UXPrime is an expert solution in Usability Research,
dedicated to the
continuous optimisation of user experience.
It supports project teams in the design and evolution of digital interfaces through a structured and effective approach.
UXPrime is based on a proven methodology that combines
expert consulting,
expert review, and
user testing.
This approach enables the
rapid
identification of usability issues and the formulation of
optimisation recommendations aligned with users’ real needs and expectations.
Why Choose UXPrime?
- A practical, fast, and cost-effective solution that delivers concrete results
- Expertise that's 100% dedicated to usability
- An agile and iterative approach that supports continuous UX optimisation
- Efficient,
impartial expertise and evaluation tools
- Strategic and operational decision-making is accelerated by the efficient use of user feedback
