So now, you probably know from the first chapter, what are UX leaks.
If you don’t know, please visit Chapter 1 and come again here.
For those who know:
This chapter is about seeing what’s actually happening post-signup, not what your team thinks is happening.
Your product team is emotionally attached to your product.
This makes them to not see the friction inside the app as much as a brand-new user sees.
That’s why you need to see your product as a new user sees your app, in their shoes.
I mean: Product analytics data.
If you are not tracking your user’s usage, let me tell you a harsh truth:
You are running your SaaS blind.
You are missing so much money on the table.
That’s why you need to track the following data in your SaaS:
1. Session Replays (Where the Truth Punches You in the Face)
This is basically seeing how your users use the app.
It is seeing where they click, how they navigate through the app, etc.
Here, you should be looking at rage clicks, hesitation before actions, places where they bounce, and other signals.
This is complete gold if you use this correctly.
But, Session replays are useless if you don’t combine it with the next tech.
2. Activation Funnel Analysis (Where Drop-offs Get Exposed)
I am not talking about your typical marketing funnel.
I am talking about the infinite funnel the users undergo.
E.g.,
Sign-up → Onboarding complete → First key action → Action 1 → Action 2 → Churn
So, there is a high possibility that Action 2 needs some immediate fix.
You can repeat the same for numerous users, and see the common patterns.
Then, combine them with Session Replays to see the UX leaks.
Also, you can compare it with users who retain, and the ones who churn.
You will get golden insights.
3. Heatmaps
This is the big brother of Session Replays.
Here, you see the places most of your users spend time, where they abandon etc.
By using Heatmaps, you can check if your users are using certain features, or if they stop at a particular point, or if they even reach your CTA.
4. Micro Surveys (Use only when necessary)
Let me be real.
Users lie. Usage doesn’t.
But if you ask users the correct questions, they won’t lie.
For example:
Don’t ask: “Was this confusing?”
You will get false positives, noise, and vague answers like "a bit."
Instead, ask this: “What were you hoping to do here?”
This question makes them reveal the problem that they are facing with the particular screen.
So, these are the 4 types of data you must be tracking.
Don’t rely on other things like NPS, exit surveys, or generic analytics.
Don’t even rely on your product team, as they are very close to the product, and will not see the leak as much as your users and the data sees.
Now that, you have data ready, how do you fix UX leaks?
This is what I am gonna cover in the next chapter.
Don’t ghost me like your users do.
