Although the UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) have similar names, they are completely different. While one references the user experience and feel, the other is geared towards a more rational side of browsing.

Web design plays an essential role in the success of any Digital Marketing strategy.

The problem is that there is a lot of confusion about what design means or how it should be used in a company's digital strategy.

It's no wonder that companies around the world, the size of Nike, Cola Cola, Google and Apple, care so much about this aspect of their products and services.

The good news is that it's not just retail giants that can use design to their advantage. Your company can (and should) do it too.

What is UX design?
The term UX comes from User Experience, or User Experience. It is basically how a person feels while using any digital product or service that your company offers.

UX is also about how this person feels after using your product.

That includes their experience with your website and blog, the online system or the application, even if your business is not 100% digital, it also applies.

What is the role of UX design in Digital Marketing?
Imagine the following example: when accessing your website, a potential customer wants to know how to get in touch with one of your salespeople.

He searches for a long time until he finds a link to the contact page, but the form is broken and he needs three tries to complete the quote request.

Now, what kind of experience do you think this user had? During the search, he's probably already frustrated, don't you think? Probably when facing a problem in the form, it may be that he has become angry or discouraged.

The truth is that in such a situation, most users would not even bother trying to log in three times, as in our example.

But the point is: whoever does, will not have the same willingness to continue the chat after receiving the contact from the seller, right?

In other words, a good user experience can help generate more leads and close more deals. On the other hand, a bad experience implies the opposite.

What is UI design?
The expression UI comes from User Interface, which means User Interface. The idea of ​​the UI is to guide the user through your application during the time he uses it.

We will use the same example that we have just seen to facilitate the explanation.

The moment a person enters your website, there are some specific actions you want them to take.

So, a good job of UI design will allow you to guide users through navigation and lead them to take these actions in a natural way.

If the goal is for the person to ask for a seller's contact, everything on the page (content, navigation menus, CTAs, images, etc.) must collaborate so that they feel this need.

What is the role of UI design in a digital strategy?
If your website does not direct users in the right way through the interface, they will hardly take the right actions. With that, this sales channel will fail in the business objectives.

Now, have you ever visited confusing websites that did not clearly communicate the value proposition or that made it difficult to find the necessary information you were looking for? Well, then you have been in the presence of examples of a poorly crafted UI.

And a poorly done UI costs a lot, since the almost immediate reaction of visitors will be to return to the browser and switch to another website that offers a better experience.

But wait… a better experience? Isn't that the role of UX? Keep that in your mind because now we will tell you that the UI directly affects the UX, because if the navigation of your site is bad, it is quite difficult to provide a good experience.

However, that does not mean that the two concepts are the same thing. To make it clear, let's see below 3 clear differences between them.

3 fundamental differences between UI and UX design
There are some important differences between UI and UX that need to be considered in order to fully understand what each of them does. See now 3 of the main ones.

1. UI only exists with a visual interface, UX does not
As the name itself says, UI has everything to do with the visual interfaces of your site or application. Without a screen, there is no UI. But we can't say the same about UX, why?

Because, in many cases, the user's feeling in relation to the browsing experience has nothing to do with a screen.

He is capable of making this experience even more pleasant if the designer manages to eliminate some stages in the process of using the product, which means fewer screens to interact with.

2. UI directs the user, UX does the navigation worth
We talked a bit about that already, but it's worth reinforcing that the role of UI and UX design are essentially different, even though they complement each other.

If on the one hand the UI directs the user and what he should do while using the site or application, the role of the UX is to make navigation pleasant.

The UI makes navigation easy to understand and actions simple to perform, yet not even the most enjoyable site in the world will leave visitors satisfied if it doesn't have the information they expect and the way they want to consume it.

3. UI is about reason, UX is about emotion
What is the easiest way to navigate a site or application? There are good practices on that, it is a very rational process.

In the West, people normally read from top to bottom, from left to right, not counting the various existing systems, but what does this have to do with UI and UX?

Well, despite the fact that both are directed towards different sides, to evoke a positive reaction in the user (both with UI and UX) you have to take into account who your audience is, what is the context in which they use your application and what do you want to find.

4 benefits of using UI and UX design together
You already realized that both UI and UX have great value for the success of your digital strategy. So, it is natural for you to ask yourself: Which of the two should I use?

However, the answer is: both. There is no reason to choose just one or think that there is somehow competition between them. As we already talked about, UI and UX complement each other.

Separately, each one can bring good results for your company, but only if you use the two together will you have the following benefits:

1. Generation of high value for the public
With both a well-designed interface and in-depth knowledge of how your buyer persona behaves, it is possible to generate much more value for your audience than if you only had one of the elements in your strategy.

Remember that generating value for your audience is never too much. In the end, even if not all visitors are ready to take immediate action, they are likely to come back if the UI and UX work is done right.

2. High chances of retaining users
Many sites and apps have as one of the main success metrics how long users have been on the website. This indicator is used when engagement is important to the success of the project.

If this is your situation, there is nothing more valuable than the union of a good interface with a positive user experience.

This couple is responsible for the retention and enchantment of users, which generates traffic and more engagement that comes from recommendations.

3. Strengthening the brand
Brands that care about the complete experience that customers have on their digital channels are able to strengthen the relationship with users.

In the digital world, everything is shared, which involves the joys and frustrations of people with their favorite brands.

So, one way or another, people will comment on your brand. The quality of the UI and UX work is what determines whether that will be good or bad news for you.

4. Increased conversions
At the end of it all, nothing is more important than conversions in a digital strategy.

That is why any company invests in Digital Marketing and committing to the design of the interfaces, as well as the complete experience, is what guarantees the return on this investment.

The best thing is that after seeing positive results, it is possible to continue to optimize efforts and achieve even greater goals on a regular basis.