Did you really have the user in mind?

You can do just about everything by the book, yet still get it totally wrong. How is that possible? Easy. You can invest considerable resources in creating technical solutions that inspire and motivate, but along the way forget the basics—creating something that is logical and works for the customer.

At Apsis, we have noticed a clear shift when it comes to who works with our technical solution for managing a company’s e-mail marketing. This technology was previously managed by someone in the IT department, but more and more we find that marketers want access to it.

Furthermore, more and more people who previously perceived shopping on the Net as a complicated affair have dared to take the step. We are also convinced that more and more people believe it is safer nowadays to shop on the Net. That is why understanding how the technology works from a customer’s or contact’s side is vital. What are the logical consequences of this?

Rule No 1 – It Has To Work

Let’s take an example: We had a client that was upset because his company wasn’t making a dime from their e-mail newsletter. We reviewed the newsletter and could not find anything that would scare away potential customers, so we had a hard time pointing out concrete problems. A colleague started to subscribe to the newsletter and a few newsletters later, he saw an offer that he couldn’t resist. He clicked on the product link to go to the web site. He read more about the product and the terms of sale. He decided he wanted to order the product and was going to click on the “buy it” button. But what did the button say? “Close window”. There was simply no way for him to make a purchase.
And there we had the problem — they simply hadn’t put themselves in the customer’s position and tested it! This is an extreme example, but I want you to understand what I mean. Do you think it’s a rare example? Not at all.

Rule No 2 – It Has To Be Logical

Here's an example from my own life: A while back, I booked a trip to Prague. The travel agency i used doesn’t send tickets by regular mail. Instead, the ticket is replaced by an online confirmation that you print out yourself and use as proof of your booking. I clicked a button that said “Get information by e-mail”. I thought, “Great, I’ll get my confirmation number sent to my Inbox.” After which I paid my booking no more thought.

But what arrived in my Inbox? Nothing. I started to worry and wondered if I had actually booked the trip. Two days later I received a PDF file informing me of my contractual obligations in connection with my purchase… This led to a series of phone calls and searching the web site before I could find my confirmation number, which I should have written down when my purchase was confirmed.
At the very bottom, I missed a text line where I could choose to have my confirmation number sent to me by e-mail.

Who is right and who is wrong in this situation? Well, technically you could say that I made the mistake by not being careful enough. But in reality, of course the company goofed by hiding important information in such a way that I, the user, didn't notice it. And if I the user am not satisfied, it will take a lot to win me back.

My best tip – Walk a mile in your customer’s shoes

We have noticed that the more clicks that are needed and the more tedious a person experiences a procedure to be, the more buyers you lose in the process. We can see that clearly in all of our e-mail marketing statistics. Many people are not tech-savvy and feel that anything that has to do with computers quite simply is a pain. Before joining Apsis, I also felt that way and I know how frustrating it can be. In the end, I always gave up.

Make sure that your service facilitates the process and that the buyer follows a logical “flow”. Be over-explicit and test it yourself. There shouldn’t be any obstacles and the customer should perceive that the provided information and your graphical profile are consistent. Make sure that purchases and/or any information people request are delivered as soon as possible. This is reassuring and means that the customer probably will return.

Sara Wittbom

2008-02-19