Consumer demand drives innovation, right? Demand for better health, more pleasure, access to information, transportation, etc. And, the success of any innovative idea has one thing in common, EASE. If a new idea isn’t easy to engage, it typically fails. Ease and simplicity are at the core of what we consider improvements to everyday life. Consider these off-the-cuff examples:
• Alexa vs getting out of your chair
• Siri vs finding it yourself
• Touch screens vs keyboarding
• Keyless entry vs using a key
• Smart everything vs dumb everything
• Forever stamps vs specific denominations, (the biggest postal innovation we’ve had?)
• Amazon everything vs everything else
• Electric bikes vs peddling
• The list can go on forever. Cell phones, GPS, digital cameras…
Okay, we can agree that marketing an easier solution for almost anything is a path to success, yes? Now, let’s apply that theory to HOW we market.
Here’s a big mystery for me: why do so many brands, even big ones, make their websites so difficult to engage? The research is clear about the consumer’s desire for a simple and easy experience, so why do brands ignore that crucial data? I have a theory that in many retail organizations IT, merchants and execs hijack the website. It becomes the wall that the spaghetti is thrown on. Maybe because it’s perceived to have endless real estate? I’m not sure, but the result is often a website by committee, and we all know the pitfalls of that. I suspect the copy and design experts who understand the merits of keeping things simple often have little influence on what the consumer actually experiences.
I suggest getting the committee and the hijackers to agree to these five tactics proven to enhance user experience and drive higher conversion.
- Focus on internal search. It’s no secret why Amazon’s search is the defining element in the header. These guys have all the money in the world to test and this is where they ended up. They understand that helping the shopper locate a product is the #1 priority. That also means to be successful you need intuitive taxonomy and invest in tagging products correctly.
- Invest in thoughtful navigation. Take a look at REI. They have a fairly complex top nav, but they make it intuitive and simple with a static expansion that doesn’t require ninja track pad or mouse skills to get around in. Also, be sure to align your taxonomy with your navigation categories. Sounds elementary, but you’d be surprised on how many sites don’t connect their own dots!
- Simplify the homepage. This is the window into your brand. The job of the homepage is to be inviting, not a graffiti-filled wall. When I see a homepage that’s busy, I bail. Employ strict hierarchy that makes it EASY for the shopper to understand what’s important for the brand, season or event.
- Create hard working inspirational category pages. The top of category pages are perfect spots for pointing out features of best sellers, (in that category), and editorializing with images that make your brand more human and connect more emotionally. Don’t just serve up a grid of product. Also, make filtering easy and obvious.
- Check out funnel. This probably deserves an entire post but suffice to say it’s better to improve this area first. Any incremental improvement in this part of your site will fall right to the bottom line. I mean, if the consumer bails on the homepage or category page, it’s not good, but a lot of that traffic is made up of folks kicking tires and comparison shopping. If they get to the checkout and bail that’s more likely a lost sale. Invest your usability dollars by fine tuning checkout first!
The most important thing you can do is invest in usability. The first step is cheap. Have your team find folks outside the company who will inform on their experience. Start with that kind of grass roots approach and you’ll be amazed with what you learn. It’s EASY!
Tags: digital marketing, marketing strategy, neal schuler, website navigation, website usability