Design Your Online Success
Web site design has always been a fascinating area for me -- not entirely in the realm of
graphic design but also of flow, navigation, appearance, and content. I love to surf the
web almost exclusively to learn about different feels and flavors. In the process of doing
so, it amazes me to see how some sites appear smooth and refined, while others smack of
being put together horrendously quick -- even when the company, product, or service is
reputably of high quality.
But web site design is, in and of itself, a powerful marketing process. Many people tend
to forget that people make UPAs -- unconscious paralleled assumptions -- in all areas of
business (and life, for that matter). In other words, when they visit a site, they
unconsciously assume that a parallel exists between the web site's design and the business
behind it -- not to mention the products and/or services it promotes. If the design is
poor, unprofessional or unclear people will assume that the product or company is just the
same.
Regard for the human inclination to "judge books by their covers" is of utmost
importance on the web, for the design is the only thing that separates you from your
customer and thus is representative of the whole. Your site can either emphasize, support,
or contradict your marketing message -- and do so almost effortlessly, even
inconspicuously, and sometimes dramatically.
A large airline company recently conducted a survey among
passengers in order to perform
some marketing research. The following question was asked: "If your food trays were
dirty, would you assume that the airline also does poor maintenance on its engines?"
And the answer was, as illogical as it sounds, "yes" for an overwhelming
majority of participants.
In "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing," Ries and Trout made what I believe to
be the most powerful notion ever conceived in the world of business, in that marketing is
not a battle of products but a battle of perceptions. My mentor used to say
"perceived truth is more powerful than truth itself," and I agree. Marketing is
all about perception.
The same goes for perceived value. If you place your web site side-by-side with a
competitor, and both of you offer the same product in the same way at the same price, the
company that will win the customer over will be the one that, through its design,
communicates to the customer that there is an implied added value in their choice.
In my seminars, I teach something I call the "Ketchup Principle." Let's say
you've just met a salesperson and, after introducing himself, gives you a sales
presentation. He is dressed absolutely impeccably, gave a perfect spiel, was thoroughly
interested in serving your needs, and conducted a more than perfect meeting with you. But
all throughout the encounter, you couldn't stop but notice that he had a little spot on
his tie -- a little ketchup stain, if you will. Two weeks later, however, if I would ask
you, "What do you remember most about your meeting," more than likely the first
thing that would pop into mind is the ketchup stain!
As the old saying goes, "You never get a second chance to make a good first
impression!" This applies to everything you do or present, even to the simplest of
things such as your web site's design. Therefore, pay attention to your web site's overall
appearance, its appeal, its ease-of-navigation, and -- most importantly -- its content.
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Originally published in IMC's Internet Marketing Chronicles.
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