Design to give the customer what they want!
… not what customers expect
One of the most important factors which set higher successful sales campaigns and companies from others is those that don’t follow what others do in terms of what is the ‘norm’. Don’t look at what the most companies usually do I copy that idea you are only duplicating unsuccessful formats.
What to ask for best design results
If I was a customer what would I want to see, hear and feel to really ‘feel’ this product is for me, all my questions and negatives have been answered and I can easily see how to get it?
Examples of smart design thinking
DOCTOR’S SURGERY – What you expect
When you visit a doctor’s surgery, it is common to sit down in a room of quietness leaving you to focus on your worries. To add insult to injury the walls are usually littered with even more fear based messages asking you to think about all the other things that might be wrong with you! However, that’s the way it has always been done so “that’s what you expect!”.
DOCTOR’S SURGERY – This is what you want!
This is what you ideally would like (as a customer):
- Walk in and be greeted with warmth and kindness, some beautiful music playing in the background to raise the vibrations and uplift you. The walls should be littered with empowering statements with beautiful inspiring pictures like…
- “Your body is phenomenal, if you mess up don’t worry, it is designed to rejuvenate and rebuild”
- “Nearly everything you worry about just won’t happen – Relax, breathe and be kind to yourself!”
- Magazines focused on self-empowerment articles offering wonderful ways to improve your health and well being for your mind and body.
- Maybe if the waiting room is big enough…. a tv showing series that distract and make people laugh.
Visitors will take action when they ‘feel’ the value of what you offer
One of the most important factors which set higher successful sales campaigns and companies from others is those that don’t follow what others do in terms of what is the ‘norm’. Don’t look at what most companies usually do, if you copy that idea you are only duplicating unsuccessful formats – this is your business and unique to you.
When I design a website the most important focus is to get the owner talking about the product so I can find out exactly what the experience is that the customer is buying. Then I drop what has been done before and use images and headings to connect with the customer. The website should define clearly…
“This is what I have… this is what it can do for you… this is how you get it”
Here is an example of a client who came to me for a ‘skincare’ website design. Most owners fall into the trap of focusing on information the customer doesn’t need to make a decision. The experience should be the focus (what situations are going to change in a customer’s life, or what will the customer feel). I listened to her words so I could climb into the feeling in order to sell it. She sent me links to other traditional skincare sites which I dismissed instantly as passionless and too much about the owner. When she saw the mock-up design she said “I love it so much I could cry“. She realised that by keeping the images unique and open it felt very expansive and not limited her to traditional perceptions and had inspired her business and other ideas she had put off (but now energised her).
People don’t give you money for information
Maybe you are arguing that a book is a perfect example of ‘information’ but that is not why the person buys, they want the experience that the information will bring them!
For everything you put on your website, ask how it ‘moves’ the customer. Always treat your website as if it was on the high street. (See video “Think high street not digital).
