The future of web design and the bowler hat effect

Recently I hosted a conference session discussing how to win customers and influence people. It was based around macro trends in the digital world and the challenges faced by retailers looking to engage with increasingly unforgiving, web savvy, consumers. Personalisation was a key focus.

Having since attended the Future of Web Design (FOWD) 2010 event, my passion for personalisation has been further heightened. An experience with a man in a bowler hat at this event hit home about the power of the extra touches, of brand alignment and of overdelivering against expectations. We can all learn from this.

I was captivated by the “bowler hat effect” and the event reiterated the belief that the customer is king; that consumers love experiences, and that brands who build relationships, be it virtual or face to face, are the brands which will stay in front. With that in mind, here are some key points to consider when looking at how you can lead the way online.

1) Repositioning
When looking at your web presence, a fundamental point to embrace is that web design is not about web design, it's about providing a web experience and fulfilling the desire of the customer.

Whether that desire is for information, for a purchase, or for an interaction, this has to be the bigger picture and focused on in minute detail. So don't design new features for design's sake, or create new apps just because you can—all activity should be focused on satisfying the user's desire. This is what retailers must grasp if they are to capitalise on the opportunities available online.

2) Understanding
Advocating the importance of understanding that users are the central “cog” in any online business, around which everything else must tick, retailers should take time to understand why users make the choices they do online. Once you know and understand your audience, then the content and design should come naturally, followed by profitability, reputation, customers, and achieving business goals.

3) Stepping beyond
A key point that came out of the event I attended was the fact that many web designers currently stop at the glass ceiling of “usability” and don't often venture further into the realms of “experience”. This is what adds real value to their designs, and has real impact on their audiences. Consider moving beyond simply being functional to being truly enjoyable.

4) Creating experiences
Online retailers are those most in need of differentiation, most in need of loyalty from customers, of building lifetime relationships to provide repeat business and this only comes with providing great experiences.

The experience your site should give is one that doesn't just deliver but overdelivers. Adding touches that are not just usable, but which generate an emotive attachment and increase social interaction, make the user experience more pleasurable, an emotion that will resurface when they are reminded of your brand. For example, take Heston Blumenthal and his attention to detail with his recipes. This is what sets him apart from other chefs—he takes an idea then capitalises on every opportunity with it. He makes sure he taps into a variety of his guests' senses to create a lasting impression. This is how retailers should approach every aspect of their website, setting out to exceed expectations rather than deliver exactly what everyone else does.

Enriching the messages sent to your online audience is vital. Focus on the details to ensure that your message is not lost on the masses, but that each customer feels like he’s been treated uniquely. Your customers must feel that their online experience with you is relevant to them. This doesn't have to be complex but it needs to be considered. Retailers that don't adapt will most definitely start to feel the impact.

5) The “bowler hat effect”
Back to the man in the bowler hat. His presence greeting the delegates—although unnecessary—added to the overall experience. It surprised us, showed attention to detail, and highlighted the prestige of the event. As a result it enriched the message and made the experience more memorable.

Knowing your audience and providing for them influences everything from your brand values right through to the ecommerce platform and software you choose. It shapes the content, the design and the way you should be communicating with your audience online.

As consumers face increasingly more information in their daily lives, retailers must refine their offer and focus on the only thing that matters—producing not just satisfied, but extremely happy, customers, time after time. How to win customers and influence people? Personalisation is the key.

Mark Bower is managing director of digital marketing agency Coolpink.