Winning Support for UX: How to Show ROI and Get Buy-In
As a User Experience Designer, you know your work improves products, makes users happy, and prevents costly design mistakes. But how do you prove that to stakeholders and executives? The key is to frame user experience results in terms of Return on Investment (ROI) — showing how your work impacts revenue, efficiency, and customer retention.
This article will guide you through:
Why user experience is about business, not just design
The metrics that matter to executives and product owners
Examples of user experience decisions that delivered measurable business value
User Experience is about business, not just design
Many stakeholders still think of UX in terms of appearance rather than impact. In reality, UX contributes to business results, and can drive measurable success when positioned correctly.
When speaking to stakeholders, try shifting the conversation from "good design" to business impact:
Instead of: “This redesign improved the user’s experience”
try saying: “This redesign reduced shopping cart abandonment, increasing revenue.”Instead of: “Improving navigation makes things easier for users”
say: “Optimized navigation reduced customer support calls, saving operational costs.”
By making this shift, you help decision-makers see UX as an investment, not an expense.
Metrics That Matter to Executives and Product Owners
To make a compelling case for UX, tie your work to key business metrics that stakeholders and executives care about. Here are some of the most impactful ones:
1. Revenue Growth
Conversion Rate: How many users complete a desired action (purchase, signup, etc.)?
Average Order Value (AOV): Did changes to the UX encourage larger purchases?
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Did UX improvements affect long-term retention?
2. Cost Savings
Support Ticket Volume: Are UX improvements reducing customer confusion?
Operational Efficiency: Does a streamlined process reduce internal workload?
Time on Task: Are employees completing tasks faster due to a better UX?
3. Customer Retention & Satisfaction
Churn Rate: Are fewer customers leaving due to a frustrating experience?
Net Promoter Score (NPS): Do users recommend the product after UX changes?
Task Success Rate: Are users able to complete tasks without frustration?
When presenting data, don’t just list metrics—tell a story about how UX impacts these numbers. Instead of just reporting that “our new onboarding process improved retention by 15%,” frame it as a story:
“Before our redesign, new users struggled to complete setup, leading to frustration and high drop-off rates. By streamlining the process and providing clear progress indicators, we reduced confusion and made sign-ups feel effortless. As a result, 15% more users stayed engaged past their first week, leading to increased subscriptions and higher customer lifetime value.”
This approach makes the impact of UX tangible and relatable to business goals.
Examples: UX decisions that delivered business value
1. Airbnb’s Booking Optimization Increased Revenue*
Problem: Users were abandoning bookings at the payment stage.
UX Solution: Airbnb simplified the payment process and introduced transparent pricing upfront.
Result: Conversion rates improved, leading to higher booking revenue.
2. Amazon’s One-Click Checkout Boosted Conversions**
Problem: Users were dropping off before completing purchases.
UX Solution: Amazon introduced one-click checkout to eliminate friction.
Result: Sales skyrocketed, making Amazon a leader in online retail.
3. Spotify’s Personalized Playlists Improved Retention***
Problem: Users were canceling subscriptions due to lack of engagement.
UX Solution: Spotify introduced Discover Weekly, a personalized playlist that kept users engaged.
Result: User retention improved, increasing long-term subscription revenue.
How to Apply This in Your Own UX Role
Next time you advocate for a UX initiative, structure your pitch like this:
Identify the Business Goal
“We need to increase customer retention by 10%.”Define the UX Problem
“Users drop off due to a confusing checkout process.”Propose a UX Solution
“Streamlining checkout and adding one-click payment.”Predict Business Impact
“We estimate a 5% lift in conversions, equating to $500K in additional revenue annually.”
By framing UX in terms of business impact, you’ll gain buy-in from executives, secure budget for UX initiatives, and elevate the strategic value of your work.
Final Thought
The most successful UX designers aren’t just great at design; they’re great at communication. Start framing UX in terms of business impact today—because the better you communicate value, the more support, funding, and influence you'll gain.
Are you interested in improving your UX communication skills to help you better work with your stakeholder, teams and peers? I’ve got a free checklist you can refer to whenever you are getting ready to present your work - download it here!
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*"How Airbnb Redefines Customer Experience (CX) Through Community and Authenticity" renascence.io
**"One-click checkout increases spending and engagement"
news.cornell.edu
***"Spotify’s Discover Weekly: How machine learning finds your new music"blog.basistheory.com