The Holy Grail of Software Products Success: Great Customer Experience and the Key Elements Needed to Create One

We can easily misunderstand the prevalence of software products packed with features over the years as an indicator to our success in impressing customers; thinking that we don't need to do something more than just keep shipping features one after another and keep up with competition. We'd better change that misconception before it's too late. The generation that created sustainable existence for some software products today will not be the same as the generations that would make the decision whether these products would continue to exist. For instance, Generation Z, those born mid-to-late 1990 up to early 2010, grew up with tech that they are no longer impressed by the mere notion of Feature. Their lives are so ingrained in utility from day one that software became something they experience rather than use. It is convenience, reliability, security, seamless interactions, performance, speed and all the matters that directly contribute to positive emotional, sensory, or cognitive perception are what's important. Additionally, it's no longer the app or the piece of software alone that matters; it's the entire Brand. This is because such generations have to be acquired before they even hold the product through brand image and maintained by evolving the brand by their ever changing needs. Such perception of the software product formulated by convenience characteristics and a supportive trustable brand is what constitute Customer Experience. In this paper, it is discussed the key elements that are needed by every software company in order to create an excellent Customer Experience to acquire and maintain happy customers.