Starting at the customer by Craig Menzies for the iCrossing client summit 2011

1. STARTING AT THE CUSTOMER Craig Menzies, iCrossing 1

4. Guard cat

5. I need to get a quote for insurance for my scooter. I start where most consumers start . . . Google.

6. I choose one of the paid links at the top . . . mostly because I recognize the brand from TV.

7. On first glance: A clean, useful site – someone’s spent time on this. I click here to see what the process is to get a quote. From an insurer’s perspective, are motorcycles the same thing as scooters? I searched for “scooter,” didn’t I?

8. I get an interim page. I just want to see what the quote process looks like. What am I in for?I choose “New user.”

9. OK, this is good. I make sure I have all the details I need. But I still don’t know if they insure scooters!

10. FOUR pages in from my start page, I finally get to the form. And still no information. I close the browser window with the quote form and go back to where I started.

11. I’ll try this one: “Questions & answers”

12. Nothing here that answers my question.

13. Now I’m confused AND lost . . . I go back to Google and try someone else.

14. Or to put it another way . . . The Web

15. Start with the Customer Agenda Why should we care about Customer Experience? Customer Experience tactics and techniques Websites and the wider World How can we start moving in the right direction? 15

16. Start with the Customer Agenda Why should we care about Customer Experience? Customer Experience tactics and techniques Websites and the wider World How can we start moving in the right direction? 16

17. Start with the Customer Overall website usability is generally poor 17 Distribution Of Web Site User Experience Review Scores Across 1,387 Sites (Pass score = 25, representing a minimally satisfactory experience) Article source: Jonathan Browne, September 2010 “Web Design Best Practices From UK Interactive Agencies”

18. Start with the Customer Your brand is at risk 18 How is your opinion of a brand or company affected if its Web site does not perform up to your standards? Article source: Craig Menzies (Ed. Harley Manning), January 2009 “The Future Of Web Design: Balanced Support For Both Customer Goals And Brand Communication”

19. < Poor online experiences damage your brand and lose you customers > 19

20. < To prevent a poor online experience, start with the Customer! > 20

21. Start with the Customer Agenda Why should we care about Customer Experience? Customer Experience tactics and techniques Websites and the wider World How can we start moving in the right direction? 21

22. Start with the Customer Core Principles – The Elements of User Experience 22 UX describes a process for understanding how things should work UX provides a framework for asking – and getting answers to – the right questions Source: The Elements of User Experience, Jesse James Garrett: www.jjg.net

23. Start with the Customer User Experience is about ‘getting it right’ 23 This? Or this? What does the customer REALLY want and need? Image source: http://www.flickr.com (users: RowdyKittens and scarletgreen)

24. Start with the Customer Yes, this actually is a real website 24

25. Start with the Customer You should see it ‘live’ 25

26. Start with the Customer User Experience vs Customer Experience I believe Customer Experience goes further than User Experience It attempts to convince organisations to think about their customers at all levels and across all channels – and strives to give them the tools to do so Generic user picture vs a real person Tactical vs Strategic 26

27. Start with the Customer Core Principles – Evaluating the Experience ‘Scenario design’: A concept built on a simple assumption: No experience is inherently good or bad, it can only be judged by looking at how well it helps customers achieve their goals. This approach requires companies to continually ask — and answer — three questions: Who are your customers? What are their goals? How can you help them achieve those goals? 27 Source: July 19, 2004, “Scenario Design: A Disciplined Approach To Customer Experience” by Bruce D. Temkin, Forrester Research

28. Start with the Customer Who are your customers? Do we always take the time to understand who our customers are? Are they really who we think they are? Are they who they TELL us they are? 28 I am Darth Vader Woof I am Darth Vader (SOURCE: www.scificool.com, www.masalatime.com)

29. Start with the Customer The User Experience Toolkit Customer surveys (online or offline) Examination of existing sales records Ethnographic research Personas and scenarios Market research Interaction with call centres and other channels Focus groups with real customers 29

30. Start with the Customer 30 Target audience Personas

31. Start with the Customer Good personas go further 31

32. Anthropologists! Anthropologists! Ethnographic research means talking to real customers to find out who they are and what they want and need

33. Start with the Customer What do your customers want to achieve? Do we always take the time to understand what our customers really need and want? Why don’t we? How can we? 33 (SOURCE: www.failblog.org) (SOURCE: www.lolcars.com)

34. Start with the Customer The User Experience Toolkit Expert usability reviews of websites or mobiles devices User needs analysis Examination of customer sales history data More ethnographic research Information architecture and taxonomies (e.g. Card sorting) Usability labs and remote usability testing Examination of data from: Web analytics Search campaigns (natural and paid) Social media 34

35. Start with the Customer All points of the user journey 35

36. Start with the Customer Observe and record 36 Article source: Forrester Research, Craig Menzies, May 2008 “Case Study: How Credit Suisse Made Customer Experience Matter”

37. Start with the Customer Work out taxonomies and IA with Card Sorting 37

38. Start with the Customer How can we help our customers achieve their goals? Do we always do the sensible thing? Do we always think all the way through the solutions we put in place? Do we test the solutions we put in place? (or even the prototype?!) As an organisation, are we setup or ready to change? 38 (SOURCE: www.failblog.org)

39. Start with the Customer Approaches that work Interviews with key business stakeholders Strategy and planning workshops Iterative website optimisation Customer satisfaction surveys (e.g. NetPromoter, CxPi) A/B and multivariate testing, eye tracking studies Structured ‘user centred design’ (UCD) processes Functional specifications Wireframes Task flow diagrams and user journeys Process, culture, change management Immersion exercises 39

40. Start with the Customer Make the executives do stuff 40 Article source: Forrester Research, Craig Menzies, May 2008 “Case Study: How Credit Suisse Made Customer Experience Matter”

41. Start with the Customer Make the executives do stuff 41 Article source: Forrester Research, Craig Menzies, May 2008 “Case Study: How Credit Suisse Made Customer Experience Matter”

42. Start with the Customer Agenda Why should we care about Customer Experience? Customer Experience tactics and techniques Websites and the wider World How can we start moving in the right direction? 42

43. < Websites don’t exist in a vacuum > 43

44. Start with the Customer How we used to see the web 44 That website thing that we keep hearing about Some positive results (e.g. £££) Customers (with £££)

45. Start with the Customer The reality today – welcome to the network 45

46. Start with the Customer Agenda Why should we care about Customer Experience? Customer Experience tactics and techniques Websites and the wider World How can we start moving in the right direction? 46

47. } Engaged A new framework Visible Engaged Useful, usable, desirable REQUIREMENT User response on-site User response off-site Natural search Social outreach / online PR Paid search On-site content Off-site content SOLUTION Phone calls Email enquiries Blog comments/posts Facebook fans / interactions Twitter fans / interactions RSS subscribersSentiment of response Can user goals be completed? Is the right content in the right place? Does the site provide a memorable experience? Is the site participatory? Does it encourage dialogue? Does the site provide reasons for people to come back? Traffic Unique visitors Inbound links SERPS Reach (eyeballs/OTS) Friend/fan networksPage impressions Conversions KPIs

48. Start with the Customer Recommendations If you don’t already, make user experience research a mandatory part of every digital project, like you would project management Adopt a view that encompasses the entire digital world (search, social, brand sites, campaigns, etc.) – think ‘connected’ Even when it’s hard, follow a structured design process – it works and ultimately saves time and money Reap the benefits of knowing your customers better – those unpredictable ideas that come from an outside perspective 48

49. Questions? 49

50. THANK YOU! 50 Email: craig.menzies@icrossing.co.uk Call: +44 (0)1273 828 671 Website: www.icrossing.co.uk Blog: http://connect.icrossing.co.uk Twitter: @craigmenzies