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Michael is currently senior vice president, responsible for Digital, Technology and Operations at Javelin Marketing Group. Javelin is a full-service customer marketing agency driven by leading-edge analytics for today's digital age.

Michael's focus is on the customer and their story. The strategy is cross channel and the execution is multi-platform. Javelin's analytics reveal what's really happening with your marketing, with your budget, and with your business.

Michael believes in a digital world, not a digital channel. He works with his teams and their clients to generate smart, revenue driving multi-channel marketing solutions. Javelin's clients include AT&T, ING, Pep Boys, Hyatt, Kings Isle, Genetech and others.

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Features

Four UXD Commandments for the Interactive World

Written on
Oct 7, 2008 
Author
Michael Radigan  |
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Four UXD Commandments for the Interactive World

internet_tv_small.jpgADOTAS EXCLUSIVE — Though Jimi Hendrix may have made the phrase “Are you experienced?” famous, it is quickly becoming the rally cry of the interactive world. User Experience Design (UXD) is not new, but its adoption and usage has been making some strong transformations lately.

For someone like me, marrying the direct marketing world with the interactive marketing world while integrating UXD principles can be tough. So, to help myself and you, my brethren, I’ve developed “Four UXD Commandments for the Interactive/Direct World” (I know, I know, the title needs help).

#1: WWTCT: What Would The Consumer Think?

The first rule of thumb when developing a product or a campaign is to ask WWTCT (what would the consumer think?). The perspective from and the quality of the user’s experience should be the gauge for most everything a company produces.

Think through the needs of the consumer and how your brand can meet them: Apple didn’t create the iPod to sell iTunes — it was the other way around. Storing and downloading music was the issue they solved for us average Joes — there were other MP3 players out there, but no legitimate/legal music organization purchase tool. Enterprise Rent-A-Car will pick you up. Southwest Airlines not only offers fun, low-cost freedom, but they conveniently DING us with deals. All are brilliant products that asked WWTCT about the user’s perspective and honed in on their needs in order to sell a unique brand experience.

How we ever got away from WWTCT in the first place is, well … understandably embarrassing. We were like kids with toys in the beginning days of the Internet. We learned html and the next thing you knew everything was bold or italics or indented (or all three). Then it was, “What else can we make it do?” But now that we’ve grown up and have kids and everything, it’s time to start thinking about who we’re doing this for and why we’re doing it.

#2: Email: It’s not just direct mail in electronic form

When the client requests email as part of a campaign, it isn’t a matter of building the DM in electronic form; the interactive teams have to design, write, build and track with a different type of user in mind.

Does the user have the preview pane on? Are images blocked? Is the subject line telling the right story? Are we going straight to their junk folder? Just delivering an email isn’t enough anymore. Open rates are even in question due to the use of preview panes. Click-through and conversion rates are still deciding factors of success, which make the subject line, call to action, design and after-click experience key factors in success.

Even beyond the technical issues is the fact that email as a channel for acquisition is not strong, especially compared to many other channels (SEM, DM, DRTV, etc). Email is a relationship-building, cross-sell and up-sell workhorse, but thinking that direct mail principles transfer over and will work seamlessly is nonsense.

#3: Direct mail is not dead. Say it with me, “Direct mail is not dead.”

I know what you are thinking, “Making a DM piece interactive seems a little oxymoronic.” I’m not talking Mike Teavee Wonkavision style — just about adding a digital component to the DM medium. And no, that doesn’t mean sticking a CD to the piece, but rather finding a digital way to engage the reader. These are a few methods I’ve seen used to ramp up interactivity:

QR Codes
The new mobile trend in Japan (that will make its way here eventually) is the use of QR Codes. QR stands for quick response and is really just 2D barcodes. With this innovative technology a user can simply download QR software to their mobile phone, take a picture of a QR Code and automatically receive a text message or a URL to their handset.

PURLs (Personalized URLs)
Personalized printing using variable data isn’t anything new — but combining PURLs with a personalized mailer is. Typically, the PURL contains the user’s name in the URL and can offer up personalized pages or microsites, hence calling it a personalized URL.

Decoders
One feature to facilitate an analog-to-digital relationship is with a decoder. The user logs onto a site, holds up the special decoder piece to their monitor and a hidden message is revealed. It is a fun way to get the user to go online where you can provide deeper-offer content or ask for their feedback or information. Check out the demo of how it works.

Convergence, convergence, convergence — more and more marketers are beginning to see real results by intelligently merging “offline” and “online” worlds. Whether it is intelligent usage of mobile “short codes,” or modeled offers delivered via a personalized URL, direct mail is continuing to expand its solid, results-driven potential.

#4: Where the heck is what I need? Making websites useful

Peter Morville is a UXD guru who says the seven key features to keep in mind when designing a website for the best user experience are: useful, usable, desirable, findable, accessible, credible and valuable. Each addresses, from the user’s lens, how the site/content will be approached as a solution to their problem. How will they use it, how will they search for it and within it, how can we organize and communicate to them in a clear, easy way so that they will interact/buy? Balancing the business goals with the users’ needs is no longer a nice to have — it is a must-do.

Without the customer/user, none of these tactics hold value. We must listen to our customers to ensure that our products and sites maintain relevance in today’s rapidly changing environment. Providing an area on the site for customer feedback or conducting surveys or usability studies can help us find out what makes our customers tick and what they are thinking.

All in all, understanding the user’s needs, goals and perspective help us, as accountable marketers, create good work that works. Every step along the way, remember to ask yourself WWTCT. We are all users, consumers and humans who need and experience things differently — that’s what makes life and our work so much fun!

So as the electric guitar god Mr. Hendrix said, “If you can just get your mind together … I think they’re callin’ our name …” — when it comes to UXD, the process is simple, the execution is tough, but the rewards for you, your brand and your customers are unlimited.

Good luck and remember: WWTCT!





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