#194: Driving app engagement with empathy with Naksha Ruiz, Solution Consultant, UserTesting

Ok, a bit of a mental gymnastics - imaging you’re holding a smartphone in your hand and you’ve just purchased it. You’ve unpacked it, turned on and now browsing through its default apps and checking out its features. You’re consciously taking mental notes on features that tick off boxes for you - that is the rational part. Right, but don’t you notice that holding that phone in your hand makes you feel good?

We, human beings, are driven by emotions, even on occasions when you feel like you are strictly rational, your decisions are still influenced by your emotions.

Now, this episode stands out the rest, because with the exception of the episode with Joe Schaeppi, CEO of Solsten, where we talked about the psychology of app user acquisition, we haven’t touched emotions in app marketing.

But we’re going to change it now today by having Naksha and talking about driving app engagement with empathy.

Today’s Topics Include:

• Naksha''s background
• What is UserTesting
• What is empathy and how it is different from sympathy
• Connecting with brands - how it works and why it's important
• How to assess how well or bad your app connects with its users
• Customer Experience First approach
• Takeaways
• Android or iOS?
• Leaving her smartphone at home, what features would Naksha miss most?
• What features she would like to see added to her smartphone?

Links and Resources:

• Naksha Ruiz (Ghirardelli) on LinkedIn
• UserTesting
• Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry

Quotes from Naksha Ruiz:

"Yeah, I think that's a very, very good point, especially now in the digital age that we were talking about how technology brings brands more closely. I guess that would be the best way to say it. I think,  at this point, consumers have endless options and it's very important to create genuine connection, to build a difference, to be a differentiator from all of the brand offerings. So ultimately, when we think about brands, brands sell, experience or sell, sell, sell you those feelings that then you can empathize with."

"I think from a business perspective, sympathy is what you will have the whole time. You're trying to keep it in mind, and the empathy will be something that you will connect to every now and then."

Host

Business Of Apps - connecting the app industry since 2012