Why Conversion Isn’t Always a Sign of Good UX
Author: Jay Thomas
UX Designer who builds UX research teams, leads design teams, and implements Jobs to be Done (JTBD) in companies
Conversion has long been a top metric. When it goes up, it feels like the product has improved: users find what they need, flows make sense, everything works. But that’s not always true.
You can artificially boost conversion—by adding FOMO, hiding alternative actions, or increasing pressure in your CTAs. This changes behavior, but doesn’t improve the experience. If retention drops and churn rises afterward, the product failed to deliver value. People came in, but didn’t stay.
There’s a reverse case too: you simplify entry, remove steps, and users get to the interface faster. But they miss the moment of understanding the product’s value. They’re inside, but don’t know why they should stay. In this case, Time-to-Value tells you more than just CR (Conversion Rate).
Another key factor: who is converting. Sometimes you see growth but miss that the new users are irrelevant. They don’t activate, don’t pay, don’t return. You get higher numbers—but meaningless growth.
Good UX isn’t about trapping users into the interface. It’s about making them want to stay.
Jay Thomas
A UX strategist with a decade of experience in building and leading UX research and design teams. He specializes in implementing Jobs to be Done (JTBD) methodologies and designing both complex B2B admin panels and high-traffic consumer-facing features used by millions.
Previously, he led UX development at DomClick, where he scaled the UX research team and built a company-wide design system. He is a guest lecturer at HSE and Bang Bang Education and has studied JTBD at Harvard Business School.
Jay has worked with ONY, QIWI, Sber, CIAN, Megafon, Shell, MTS, Adidas, and other industry leaders, helping them create data-driven, user-centered experiences that drive engagement and business growth.
