Let's get one thing straight: delta testing does not replace UX or CX. Yes, delta testing, also known as user testing automation, provides exploratory user experience feedback from real-world usage by representatives of your target market demographics. But delta testing's unique deliverables are complements to, not competing with, the work of UX and CX teams.

Keep reading to learn how delta testing's unique deliverables enhance UX and CX initiatives.

CX vs UX vs Delta

User experience sits within the broader category of customer experience. These fields deal with all the ways your customers are interacting with your product and brand. UX measurements include success, error, and abandonment rates, and how long it takes a user to complete a task. Customer experience encompasses an even wider range that extends to the brand, measuring the overall experience, including first touch, how likely a user will be to continue using a product, and how likely they are to recommend your product or brand to others.

Both are dedicated to reducing friction for customers so that all interactions, from completing a desired task, to finding information, to interacting with company representatives, are as positive as possible. And both fields have boasted a long legacy of using customer feedback to inform their decision-making.

The majority of today's companies already have initiatives that listen for the voice of the customer at a broad level and fine-tune features at the interactive level. What delta testing brings to CX and UX is combined qualitative insights and quantitative attitudes. This surfaces customer-driven data about features and experiences based specifically on their impact on product success.

How Is Delta Testing Different from CX/UX?

• CX and UX focus on the customer's experience at a micro level, while delta testing focuses on their experience with the product holistically.
• CX and UX are aimed at understanding sentiment and user behavior, while data testing also surfaces quantitative data that highlights specific drivers of customer satisfaction

How Does Delta Testing Complement CX/UX?

Delta testing deliverables feed CX and UX teams with nuanced, contextual information about the way customers are interacting with their products. This makes it a complement to (not a replacement for) their research and initiatives.

Delta testing...

• Highlights feature experiences that need improvement and shows researchers where to focus.
• Prioritizes UX work, based on gaps or usability issues that are impacting customer satisfaction most.
• Surfaces real-world test cases missed by prototype testing and other qualitative studies.
• Offers researchers on-demand access to a pool of potential customers for surveys and other projects.

What Else Can Delta Do?

In three words, so much more. Delta testing supports the needs of modern product development by reinforcing the voice of your customer at every step, providing an unwavering North Star in an ever-evolving technological landscape. Its unique returns increase customer insight throughout the product development life cycle in a way that no other single practice can. See how it all comes together in our ebook, What Makes Delta Different?

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