Make it Easy to Buy, Easy to Use and Easy to Share
A couple years ago I wrote a post about making things “easy to buy and easy to use”. The idea being, if you want people to engage with your brand, it must be an effortless experience. I’m honestly amazed at times how many companies make the purchasing process so difficult. Like I need to jump through several hoops to demonstrate that I’m worthy of giving a company my money. It’s crazy!
Over the past few months, I’ve come to realize that I need to add something to the “easy to buy and easy to use” concept. Interactions with companies must also be “easy to share”.
According to Social Commerce Today, 92% of people trust recommendations from people they know. 70% trust consumer opinions posted online. I know when I’m looking for something, where’s the first place I go? Social Media. The people I’m connected with have told me about products and services I never knew existed. They’ve also reminded me of products and services that I forgot completely about.
In addition, I find myself paying attention to compliments given via social media. When a person takes the time to send a quick shout-out about their favorite company, that’s very cool. It’s easy to find complainers so the kind words really stand out.
Companies need to create mechanisms for recommendations to effortlessly happen. And they need to reward comments – regardless if they are good or bad. I really am delighted when the owner of a shop or restaurant thanks me on Yelp for my review. I love it when a receptionist greets me and reminds me to check-in on my iPhone for the special deal of the day. On the other hand, I’m getting increasingly frustrated when I engage with brands but can’t find an easy way to share them with my networks.
This concept isn’t exclusive to consumers. It also applies to the recruiting process. Organizations that make sharing job openings easy will find it positively impacts applicant flow. When I know a friend or colleague who is looking for a new opportunity – then I see one – it should be an easy one-button share.
Designing experiences that are easy to share with others not only makes stuff easy to buy and use, but creates a more profitable business as well.
Image courtesy of Robert Smith
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