Cost-Justifying Usability, 2nd Edition

However, some improvements to the user experience don’t affect sales

so directly. Thus the social aspects of external ROI are needed to convince

stakeholders that a positive user experience will, in the long run, improve the

financial health of the organization. This thesis is comparable to justifying the

ROI of public relations or branding campaigns. All are indirect measures, but

we can nevertheless demonstrate ROI.

For example, we can publicize improved user experience to increase

sales and then measure sales, even though other efforts and occurrences

(“confounds”) can have a concurrent effect on sales. By confounds, we mean

interfering situations, ...