8 Essential Articles for Marketers Who Want to Learn UX

So you’re a marketer, and you’ve heard that user experience research can solve a lot of problems. But how? And which problems? And where do you go to learn more?

Whether you’re looking to increase your Net Promoter Score, or want to understand why site visitors are bouncing, or are seeking explanations for your latest A/B test, UX research can provide valuable tools for addressing qualitative questions about your leads… but it’s tough to know where to start.

Look no further! As marketing folk who once found ourselves in the same marketing-plus-UX-whaaat? predicament, we have compiled a handy list of 8 beginning articles to help you start your journey into the world of UX. While by no means comprehensive, these are just a few resources we have come to appreciate because, well, they just make sense to us!

In the following list, you will find articles that answer the following questions:

• What is UX?
• How is UX connected to marketing?
• Practically, what would UX research mean to me?

UX for all marketers

1. Why UX Is Really Just Good Marketing

Source: 52 Weeks of UX

In Week 11 of the 52 Weeks project, designer Joshua Porter presents similarities between UX and marketing, pain points where each field can empathize with the other, and how they answer two sides of the same question.

2. What Makes the User Experience?

Source: 52 Weeks of UX

Most companies have their share of overlooked UX pain points, and marketing efforts are no exception! Here, in four concise paragraphs, 52 Weeks helps readers understand why UX should be an important consideration in every stage of the client experience.

3. The Importance of User Experience for Digital Marketing: 5 Key Tips

Source: ClickZ

If you’ve ever had to explain to friends that marketing isn’t simply flooding social media or sending a lot of emails, it makes sense that user experience can’t just be about pretty layout designs. Here, ClickZ corrects UX misconceptions and explains user experience’s relevance to marketers in an ever-shifting digital world.

4. Why Marketers Should Care About UX

Source: BigDoor

In this article, BigDoor breaks user experience into four easy-to-understand advantages for marketers! Using familiar companies to describe what effective UX looks like, this is a great resource to help get started thinking about your own user-friendly marketing strategy.

5. How UX Strategy Helps You Avoid Missed Marketing Opportunities

Source: Kuno Creative

Stephanie Kapera writes: “When you live in Marketing Land... you look at websites differently than other people.” This post exposes how UX can both reveal and address marketing blind spots (also with helpful real-life examples!), along with offering several tips on how to optimize your visitors’ website experience.

UX for specialized marketing roles

6. How Great UX Can Help Your Email Marketing

Source: Usability Geek

For email marketers, Usability Geek gives practical advice on how to optimize your email landing pages to grow conversion rates.

7. 5 Experts Explain Why Sweet UX is Vital for Search Marketing

Source: Selfstartr

Ever wonder how Search Engine Optimization and UX tie together? Read this compilation of lessons learned for insights from SEO experts Rand Fishkin, Wil Reynolds, and more!

8. 5 Ways UX Design Improves Inbound Marketing

Source: Kuno Creative

Hey, inbound marketers---this one is for you! Different user experience factors have the power to impact how effective your marketing is, and it’s important to learn how to leverage UX in every stage of the marketing funnel.

Marketers, are there any other helpful UX articles that you have found? Share ‘em with us in the comment section below!

If you want to learn more about how you can test the user experience on your website, landing pages, ads, and more, then check out our eBook, The Marketer's Guide to User Testing!