Crypto has a desktop problem – here’s how we fix it
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More than five billion people are on the internet 21% of these say they have invested in crypto and they are quickly turning to smartphones to replace their desktop counterparts.
Yet, despite how common mobile devices are and how clearly important they are, many Web 3.0 DApps and websites have failed to take steps to improve mobile experiences and functionality.
People like to talk about where the next billion users will come from in crypto. One thing is sure they won’t come to crypto unless the industry rapidly improves the mobile UX experience.
Learn from Web 2.0
Mobile usage has been on an upward trend for a long time, and there is no way that trend will reverse. As much as we like to lambast Web 2.0 for being archaic, they got things right about mobile user experience.
Even in 2015, when mobile traffic was only 31%, Web 2.0 companies realized the importance of attracting mobile users and making their websites responsive. Seven years later, and mobile now accounts for 60.7% of all website traffic. The same companies that prioritized a frictionless mobile experience back then are the ones reaping the rewards today. One could say that crypto is in that stage today.
Interestingly, the move to mobile and the use of crypto are increasing at the same time. In 2018, only eight percent of Americans owned crypto before climbing to 14.4% in 2019 and 23.16% in 2021.
Yet Web 3.0 has notoriously fallen short when it comes to delivering a good mobile experience. This study from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of British Columbia analyzed 45,821 app reviews of the top five mobile crypto wallets and identified that among 6,859 user experience reviews of these wallets, both new and experienced users struggled with general and domain-specific UX issues which, apart from frustration and disengagement, can lead to dangerous mistakes and irreversible financial losses.
The stakes are much higher when there is money involved. Combine that with a nascent technology and notoriously poor onboarding process, and crypto entrepreneurs are playing with a small margin for error.
Online merchants, and subsequently crypto brands, not only lose a lot of money if they fail to optimize for mobile but also a lot of brand equity and trust.
Mobile UX is not just about creating a better user experience It’s about building a reliable reputation and high user/customer retention. Users will take the path of least resistance. You may feel like you have a great product that will change the world, but if the use of that product is fraught with obstacles, you will be beaten out by a brand with an inferior product and a better experience.
In short, improving mobile UX leads to satisfied customers with fewer complaints, higher benefits and more trust.
Application of the principles of good UX design
Web 2.0 applications have mastered the art of frictionless onboarding. Usually, when setting up an account, only a simple digital form is required and it can be filled out in a couple of minutes. If it’s a banking or fintech app, users can usually transfer money seamlessly and securely.
In contrast, Web 3.0 DApps are cumbersome to navigate if you don’t have a technical understanding or patience two huge and unrealistic expectations placed on users. Often, setting up an account and sending crypto makes users anxious and unsure.
If Web 3.0 wants to realize its full potential and revolutionize the world, the user journey must be fixed so that users get a similar or even better experience than their Web 2.0 counterparts.
To improve the mobile UX experience, designers must focus on navigation, personalization, usability and clean design principles.
Users must be able to navigate naturally through the entire process, with one action leading to the next in a way that is personal or relevant to them, keeping all unrelated content out of the way.
Users want a clean experience free of the clutter that complicates and distracts from the process. The information should be well organized and allow users to browse important information quickly and safely.
Because people are more exposed to visual content than ever before, the copy you put in front of them needs to be compelling. In that case, brands have a few seconds to capture users’ attention. This is also why the use of visual elements is essential.
There is a famous Steve Jobs quote that goes: “Design is not just how it looks and feels. Design is how it works.” This should always be kept in mind when designing the mobile experience.
Equally important, especially for financial services, is the flow of information. Due to the inherent complexity of crypto, it is critical to have a flow of information that is both smooth and easy. This gradual structure is an easy way to onboard users without overwhelming them.
Finally, designers can use the power of color to captivate and evoke positive emotions from users. Surprisingly, 60% of people decide whether they are attracted to a product or message based on color alone. Color also increases brand recognition by up to 80%, making this one of the most important yet overlooked aspects of design.
The future is frictionless
While there are significant improvements to be made in the mobile Web 3.0 experience, it’s worth noting that the entire industry recognizes this underlying problem and is working to fix it.
As the nascent crypto industry continues to grow, Web 2.0 talent will make the transition to Web 3.0 and work through these issues using their legacy knowledge. These Web 2.0 developers will bring over 20 years of experience working with UX and should make a significant impact.
As we hear so much during these bear markets, now is the time to build. The good news is that the playbook, talent and self-awareness are out there to improve UX design in Web 3.0. And what better time than now to do it?
Simon Yu, CEO and co-founder of StormX, is a crypto and e-commerce expert. He previously worked as a financial analyst at Amazon and senior credit risk analyst for KeyBank. After graduating from the University of Washington in 2014, he participated in a Berkley Blockchain Xcelerator held by the University of California in 2020.
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