10 Well-Known Businesses Who Struggled With Poor User Experience (UX)

Here are 10 examples of real businesses that struggled with poor user experience (UX) and found solutions by investing in UX design to enhance their websites:

1. Airbnb

Story: Airbnb’s early website was cluttered, with a confusing interface that made it difficult for users to find and book accommodations. This led to frustrated users and lower bookings.

Solution: By conducting extensive user research and redesigning the site with a focus on clean, intuitive navigation, Airbnb improved the booking process, making it simpler and more user-friendly. The streamlined UX led to increased user satisfaction, higher conversion rates, and rapid growth.

2. Walmart

Story: Walmart’s website was criticized for being difficult to navigate, with a complex checkout process that led to abandoned carts and lost sales.

Solution: Walmart invested in a UX overhaul that simplified navigation and streamlined the checkout process. They also introduced features like product recommendations and a more personalized shopping experience. These changes resulted in increased sales, lower cart abandonment rates, and a better overall shopping experience.

3. LinkedIn

Story: LinkedIn’s early design was cluttered and confusing, making it difficult for users to find relevant connections and use the platform effectively.

Solution: LinkedIn redesigned its platform with a cleaner interface, improved navigation, and more intuitive user flow. They also introduced features like personalized feeds and connection suggestions. This improved UX helped LinkedIn grow its user base and engagement significantly.

4. Spotify

Story: Spotify initially faced UX challenges with its mobile app, where users found it difficult to navigate and discover new music.

Solution: Spotify redesigned its mobile app with a focus on simplicity and ease of use. They improved the search functionality, reorganized the navigation, and introduced features like Discover Weekly and personalized playlists. This enhanced user experience led to increased user retention and satisfaction.

5. The New York Times

Story: The New York Times faced UX issues with its digital subscription model, where users found it challenging to navigate and access content.

Solution: The publication redesigned its website to make it more intuitive and user-friendly, focusing on improving navigation, content discovery, and the subscription process. The enhanced UX contributed to a significant increase in digital subscriptions and user engagement.

6. eBay

Story: eBay’s website was cluttered, with a complex and outdated design that made it difficult for users to search for and purchase items.

Solution: eBay undertook a major redesign that simplified the site’s layout, improved search functionality, and streamlined the checkout process. The new UX made it easier for users to find what they were looking for and complete transactions, leading to higher sales and user satisfaction.

7. Slack

Story: Slack initially struggled with a UX issue where new users found the platform overwhelming and difficult to navigate.

Solution: Slack redesigned its onboarding process to be more user-friendly, introducing interactive tutorials and a more intuitive interface. They also simplified the navigation and introduced features like customizable channels. These improvements made the platform easier to use, leading to faster user adoption and growth.

8. Netflix

Story: Netflix faced a UX challenge where users found it difficult to discover new content, leading to frustration and decreased engagement.

Solution: Netflix introduced a new recommendation algorithm and redesigned its interface to make content discovery easier and more personalized. They also improved the user interface on various devices, ensuring a consistent and enjoyable experience across platforms. This enhanced UX led to increased viewer engagement and retention.

9. Dropbox

Story: Dropbox’s early website had a cluttered interface that made it difficult for users to understand how to use the service, resulting in low user engagement.

Solution: Dropbox simplified its website and onboarding process, making it easier for users to understand the service’s value proposition and get started quickly. The redesign included a cleaner interface, clear calls to action, and a more intuitive navigation system. This improved UX led to higher user engagement and conversion rates.

10. Mailchimp

Story: Mailchimp’s early platform had a complex and unintuitive interface that made it difficult for users to create and manage email campaigns.

Solution: Mailchimp invested in a UX redesign, simplifying the platform’s interface and improving the user flow for creating email campaigns. They also introduced features like drag-and-drop editing and pre-built templates, making the platform more accessible to non-technical users. The improved UX helped Mailchimp expand its user base and increase customer satisfaction.

These examples show how businesses can overcome poor user experience by investing in UX design, leading to improved user satisfaction, engagement, and business success.