Why You Should Design Your Website With Customers In Mind

By Lizzy Cederberg, Friday, October 5, 2012
Apple Maps Image
Photo by CardMapr on Unsplash

Since its launch in September, the new Apple Maps app has come under fire from just about everyone. So much so that Apple CEO Tim Cook had to issue a formal apology about the failure of the new product. “We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better,” wrote Cook on the company’s website. He went on to suggest that iPhone and iPad users download rival map products from Google, Bing, and MapQuest, to name a few. In the midst of all of the jeers and complaints, we are reminded that no one is infallible and even the biggest companies miss the mark sometimes.

At WEBii, we always work closely with our customers taking into account their preferences and needs in order to provide the best product, especially when it comes to building company websites. Take a cue from Apple and make sure your web-based products are all up to par, or be prepared to face the wrath of the online community.

Loyal Apple users are outraged; blogs, tweets, and online forums are full of people reporting issues: my town is missing; this building is on the wrong street; is that museum in a river? Virtual products, like websites, are even more susceptible to this kind of abuse. What’s the solution? Listen to your customers! Design your website for them, not yourself. You may even launch your site in beta, and then be sure to take users’ feedback seriously.

Launching your website in beta may not be the answer for everyone, but if you have a complicated website it’s a great way to get your product to customers early and improve your site at the same time. Websites are rarely 100% perfect when they’re initially launched, but when a site is in beta users know you’re still working out the kinks. Users also know you’re looking for feedback and are more likely to provide useful help. Gmail was originally launched in Beta and users reported thousands of things they would like to see to Google. The result: one of the most popular email platforms with over 425 million users worldwide.

If your site is less complex and beta isn’t for you, customer satisfaction is still the name of the game. Make sure your layout is clear, your links work, and launch the site; small details can be fine-tuned later. In the case of Apple, they thought they knew what customers wanted: new features and 3-D images. What they failed to realize was that the most important part of Maps is the ability to get clear, accurate directions. Rather than taking the time to consider user needs, Apple launched a so-so product full of glitches.

When you plan your new website, make sure to take into account its user-friendliness and consider hiring an expert who has experience designing intuitive, streamlined sites. Unless your service is truly unique, there are countless alternatives to most online commodities. Immediately following the Apple Maps gaffe, Google announced several updates to their own Maps App, strictly available to Android users now. Though the rivalry is an old one, this mistake could mean a lot of lost revenue for Apple.

If revenue is the goal, satisfied customers are the road to revenue. When you are ready to build a new website, or update an existing one, think about what solutions will please your customers most. The online community is an opinionated one, so ensure your business against complaints and criticism by building a website that’s easy to navigate and easy to love.

Posted in: Austin Web Design, Quick Tips, Small Business, Web Design, Web Development, Web Site Maintenance, WWW Learning Center

Comments are closed.