Applying Lessons from Why We Buy by Paco Underhill

to Your Own Online Business

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Applying Lessons

This ebook was created from a series of posts at my blog, Kicking Over My Traces, as an exercise in applying the findings reported by Paco Underhill in regards to field research he and his company have conducted for the retail industry about the habits of people in brick-andmortar retail settings. I thought that it would be interesting and instructive to take those findings and apply them to websites. I hope that you find something here to use on your own website.
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Introduction

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Discussion Point #1:

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How can websites give their visitors a reason to return?

Mr. Underhill points to retailers that successfully exploit this method (giving customers a reason to return) by engaging their customers (video and music stores that promote upcoming new releases) and those that do not (bookstores, except for Harry Potter or other movie tieins). He points out that this should be done at least at two levels: big and bold and quick when the customer first enters; and more detailed when the customer reaches a point where details are appreciated. Page 3

A Reason to Return

Discussion Point #1:

If you aim at all for repeat visits, you need fresh content. Even better if the fresh content arrives dependably or predictably then your visitor can schedule a return in anticipation of the fresh content.

A Reason to Return

Note that were talking here about visitors at your website right now an emailed newsletter can serve for customers who arent currently visiting. How can websites inform their visitors of this fresh content?

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Discussion Point #1: Blogs are one obvious answer, but not the only answer. A blog must itself present fresh content in the form of new posts, though, so be ready to make that commitment. News portals can provide both big & bold, and more detailed information.

A calendar of upcoming events even a headline doubling as a link to more details, in a high traffic area of the website could increase repeat traffic.
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If your website has a point where everything grinds to a halt, such as while an online sale is confirmed, give your visitor something to look at besides a whirling candy or Please wait. Displaying useful information about upcoming events might even prevent your visitors from repeatedly clicking the Confirm button out of frustration and boredom.

A Reason to Return

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Discussion Point #2:

Mr. Underhill points out that successful retailers have a high interception rate: the number of customers entering the store who are contacted in some fashion by an employee is high. Some stores, such as Wal-Mart, employ special greeters at the door.

Interception Rate

Others train and reward employees to notice customers who need help, and to respond in a timely fashion. What does interception rate mean in an online context?

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Discussion Point #2:

One of the usual characteristics of online interaction is asynchronicity. Generally speaking, we dont expect a live person to be available behind the screen. A well-written FAQ helps. A live chatroom is much less frequent because difficult to staff 24/7. Community forums are difficult to jumpstart and to monitor. Much more common is the interaction taking place in email and comment boxes. Civil email and comments should be encouraged ahead-of-time by solicitations, and after-the-fact by a pertinent response.

Interception Rate

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Discussion Point #3:

Mr. Underhill points out that successful retailers make good use of display windows, first, to draw customerss initial attention; second, to draw customers into the store. He also emphasizes that displays are never seen under optimal conditions: if the message to be conveyed is not big and bold and short and simple and memorable, your effort is wasted.

Display Windows

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What does display mean in an online context?

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Discussion Point #3: The obvious answer is a website homepage, and a lot has been written about good homepage design. I recommend starting with Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed by Jakob Nielsen and Marie Tahir. Mr. Nielsen has a bias towards text content which I think is a bit overdone these days, but his suggestions for usefully organizing a homepage are solid. If you stop with your websites homepage, though, youve stopped way too soon. Most

people wont come to your site through your homepage. Theyll land on interior pages through a referral from another website, or by clicking on the result of a search. In retail, thats rather like the single-minded customer heading to the pharmacy at the back of the drugstore to pick up her sons asthma medication refill. She doesnt see the rest of the store until the medication is paid for and shes pointed toward the front door. Is your signage taking that into consideration? Page 9

Display Windows

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Discussion Point #3: In the case of a website, when a visitor lands on an interior page you want to present them with a cohesive view of the site in terms of design and ways of getting around. In particular, its a Very Good Thing to let them know where theyve landed: crumb navigation is useful. Crumb navigation frequently takes a form similar to this:

The visitor is four levels down from the websites homepage, viewing a booklist for January 3, 2006; and he can click on any of the links to reach a higher level. (None of the example links is live.) Note that such crumb navigation is in addition to links that might jump horizontally from one interior page to another. A visitor to your website should always be able to tell where he is in relation to the homepage, and the purpose of the currently displayed webpage. Quickly. Without a Flash or other plugin.

Display Windows

Home > Book Lists > 2006 > 01 > 03

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Discussion Point #3:

Three good books on general website usability concerns:

Display Windows

Designing Web Usability by Jakob Nielsen (though I think he leans a tad heavily on text content); Dont Make Me Think by Steve Krug;

Even if youre going to hire a website designer and you want a website designer, not just a graphic designer you should be aware of the issues involved.
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Information Architecture for the World Wide Web by Louis Rosenfeld & Peter Morville (more geeky than the others);

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Discussion Point #4:

Mr. Underhill lists three things in particular that he says stores can do, but that websites cant: 1. touch, trial or other sensory stimuli 2. immediate gratification 3. social interaction

What Websites Cant Do

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Well look at each one individually.

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Discussion Point #4:

1. touch, trial or other sensory stimuli Mr. Underhill has in mind the aroma wafting through the mall from a Cinnabon store, or the appeal of touching a silk blouse. Websites have only two senses available to them: sight and sound. Both can be abused, and frequently are. That doesnt mean you site must be silent or visually bland; merely that you must design it with your customers goals in mind as well as your own.
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What Websites Cant Do

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Discussion Point #4: Almost never should a site start blasting sound the instant a connection is made. Keep in mind that your visitor may be viewing the site from work, and your site-appropriate sound could prove embarrassing or worse. Providing a choice for a visitor to hear sound once oriented is more appropriate. Make sure its easy to figure out how to turn the sound on and off!

Sight is the biggest sensory stimulus the web has to offer. You should make the most of it by keeping things simple and appealing. If youre selling chocolate truffles, you cant hand out free samples like Sees does at their stores but you can present an irresistible graphic of a chocolate truffle front and center that will make your visitors mouth water so they can almost taste that truffle on their tongue.

What Websites Cant Do

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Discussion Point #4:

2. immediate gratification

What Websites Cant Do

Anything that can be digitized can be downloaded, so immediate gratification of, for instance, a desire for an mp3 of the latest by the Lascivious Biddies is a click or two away.

However, anything non-digitizable cannot provide immediate gratification through the web. Visitors will have to wait at least for overnight delivery until someone figures out how to shove the latest Manolo Blahnik shoes through a broadband link.
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Discussion Point #4:

3. social interaction

What Websites Cant Do

Can anyone say: comments? bulletin boards? topic-oriented forums? live chat? If you want to build up a community of repeat customers who feel invested in your website, there are many ways to promote social interaction. But be forewarned: most of them require a moderator, and moderating takes more time than youd like.

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Discussion Point #5:

Mr. Underhill discusses four things about adjacencies:

Adjacencies

1. Items need to be displayed grouped as people use them.

2. A sensible, logical order of presentation will increase sales. (Sometimes irrational combinations will also work.)

3. For each webpage, ask: what else is on the visitors mind here? Whatever it is, there should be a link. Well look at each one individually.

4. Dont let your information go stale or dated. Page 17

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Discussion Point #5: 1. Items need to be displayed grouped as people use them.

For instance, if youre selling digital SLR cameras, group them with their accessories such as lenses and flashcards.

2. A sensible, logical order of presentation will increase sales. (But sometimes irrational combinations will also work.)

Adjacencies

adjacencies: placing one item next to another to create some spark and sell more of both.
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In the camera example above, the camera sensibly comes first, followed by items that naturally might be added subsequently once the decision is made over the particular brand and model of camera. What else might be paired? How about a good introductory photography book, or a magazine?

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Discussion Point #5:

Adjacencies

What might be paired with a digital camera that, initially, might seem odd? How about travel posters?

Or newborn baby items?

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Discussion Point #5: 3. For each webpage, ask: what else is on the visitors mind here? Whatever it is, there should be a link. For example, in a blog post reporting the passing of an author, post links to that authors books. Or, in an informational webpage illustrated with low-resolution photographs, tell the visitor where high-resolution digital copies may be purchased.

4. Dont let your information go stale or dated.

Adjacencies

The analogy on a website to Mr. Underhills cited yellowing magazines and outdated single-sided posters is a blog or community forum with the latest post dated weeks ago, or a cross-link that leads nowhere. Keeping even a modest website up-todate is challenging, but should not be neglected. adjacencies: placing one item next to another to create some spark and sell more of both. Page 20

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Discussion Point #6:

Design, Merchandising, and Operations Mr. Underhill defines these terms:

1. design: the premises (physical accomodations). 2. merchandising: choosing what you put in the premises.

3. operations: what employees do.

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Well look at each one individually, but for websites rather than brick-and-mortar shops.

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Discussion Point #5: 1. Design.

Design, Merchandising, and Operations Some suggestions for reading about web design: Dont Make Me Think by Steve Krug

Website design is crucial for instance, if visitors cant find your website (because search engines cant index the site), nobody will drop by to read your editorial content, or drool over your product photography. If your websites visitors cant navigate confidently to either find what theyre looking for or poke around to see what there is to see, theyll be gone without even the tinkle of a bell to alert you.
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Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed by Jakob Nielsen

If you can afford it, employ a website designer (not just a graphic designer) who understands workflow and information architecture. Your life will be better.

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Discussion Point #6: 2. Merchandising.

Design, Merchandising, and Operations

What are you selling? Why? Who wants it? Who needs it? How do you present it attractively? How can you organize it to increase sales? There are bushel-baskets of books on merchandising, most geared to brick-and-mortar flip through them to see what can be cost-effectively adapted to a website. (Always remember cost effectiveness. For example, product photography on the web doesnt require a greater resolution than 72
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dpi, and bogs down if the photo gets too big. So paying for larger fancier pix is a waste of money.) Some titles to flip through: Visual Merchandising by Robert Colborne

1001 Ideas to Create Retail Excitement by Edgar A. Falk Inspired Retail Space by Corinna Dean

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Discussion Point #1:

3. Operations.

A Reason to Return

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Workflow is critical, or youll be a slave to your website. Thought needs to be applied to all aspects, from website updates to order fulfilment to scouting for new stuff to start the cycle again and keep visitors returning. Dont forget the paperwork: business licenses; taxes; workers comp for employees I dont have any suggested titles for this topic because all the ones I looked at are four to six years old, and the online landscape has changed so much that Id like to see updated editions.

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Applying Lessons

End Note your visitors, and more tightly focused on your goals for it.

Thats the end of this ebook, but it shouldnt be the end of your deep thinking about how to make your website easier and more useful for
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But thats not the end of my interest, either. I would love to hear from anyone who puts these ideas to work, or who comes up with variations, or who knows a good book to add to the lists.

hearye@cehwiedel.com

Email me:

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