Daily Archives: May 10, 2012
Customers live in the present, not the future
In our efforts to stay up-to-date and on top of the latest opportunities we sometimes forget that customers only really care about what they can get now, not what we might have to offer at some point in the future.
Take this press ad for instance. I’m sure the advertiser is really excited about their new website, but only a stir-crazy fanboy would make an appointment to witness the moment the site goes live as it happens.
The time to promote your new website, your sales prices, your ad campaign, your shiny new product,… is when it’s available for customers to see, try, taste, buy… Any earlier and you’re wasting precious attention on a future promise that no-one else cares about.
We live in a “now economy” where customers expect instant gratification. Don’t kid yourself into thinking they care about your world as much as you do. We live, sell, succeed in the present, not in the future.
Become a site usability guru with Usabilityhub
I’ve been playing with fivesecondtest on Usabilityhub.com today, a free tool that allows web designers and site managers to test different design options free of charge. It’s a neat service; by signing up and taking a few tests you earn “karma points” that eventually allow you to commission your own test. Of course, if you want greater control and flexibility there are paid plans starting at US$20 per month.
I suggest every digital marketer has a 10 minute play with Usabilityhub. Simply by taking some tests you’ll learn a little about the way you navigate the web, as well as seeing the types of design challenges that other site managers face.
But here’s the key: before you finish each test, take a few seconds to think about why you responded the way you did, noticing where you clicked on the test page and how the site made you feel. You can learn a lot simply by analysing your own answers, and then applying what you discover to your own sites.
And with UI feedback available at low to zero cost, maybe you’ll pluck up the courage to test some of your own wilder design ideas in this safe environment, before implementing them on your live site.
