What is an End User?
The End-user is a consumer who has a unique set of skills and knowledge. The term end-user is used in a literal sense to differentiate between the individual who uses and purchases the product or service, as well as the individuals who do not.
End User Experience
Companies must ensure that their user experience is intuitive, simple, and effective, as end users are often non-experts without any special skills or knowledge. User Experience (UX), which is a profession in itself, has been adopted by many companies across industries.
The user experience uses quantitative and qualitative methods to identify bugs, design flaws, and common errors. It also crowdsources new ideas for the latest versions. If an end-user experience is difficult to navigate, the product is unlikely to become successful–especially in the age of social media and online reviews where dissatisfied customers can air their grievances for all to see.
End-User vs. Customer
The term “end-user” is used in technology. It may also be called “revenue-generating units“, or RGU.
A customer, on the other hand, is the person who performs the purchase transaction for the technology. This person may or may not be the end-user. In a business setting, for instance, the boss might be the person who purchases the computer. The boss would then be the customer. However, a junior employee is the end user.
End users Examples
Millions, if not billions, of users, are served by tech companies. Microsoft’s end users include anyone who uses MS Office software such as Word or Excel or owns a Windows computer. Apple’s users are those who have iOS installed on their iPhones or Macs.
It is possible that the number of users of a product or company will change due to demand, innovation, competition, or external pressure. The number of users of video-conferencing platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom increased during the COVID-19 Pandemic when people were forced to take classes or work from home.
Understanding End Users
To develop a successful product, those who design, develop, test, and market the product or service must not only consider their own needs but also the end users. The final step is to deliver the product to the user. This is done after all the above processes are completed.
A computer programmer creating a platform to trade foreign currencies, for example, would have to consider the sophistication of the interface and the actions taken by end users. They would also need to consider how the customer would approach the trade, the information and data they require, the way the trader would execute the trade, and any post-trade tasks.
