Recently I spoke on a panel at a software industry conference and the theme of our discussion was “Simplifying the Complicated.” Most of the attendees were CEOs and CMOs, sophisticated people with healthy appetites for information. They’re a curious group who have mountains of data available in their business, and increasingly arm themselves with the tools to leverage that data in their sales and marketing. But since the topic was simplification, I asked the group two simple questions:
- How many of you put major resources into driving potential leads to your web site?
- Do you know what your audience thinks of your web site?
To the first question, almost all the questions went up since web sites are the hub of marketing activity. To the second question, actually asking users what they think of their company’s site, very few hands went up. It was good validation for one of the services from Boundless Markets called User Insights. And I’d like you to know about it.
User Insights reveals what actual users think of your web site and messaging. We recruit users who participate in quick immersion studies and give them specific tasks to perform on a client’s site (which are based on their unique goals), and then ask them pointed questions. Sessions are recorded via video and audio, AND every movement of the mouse is captured for clients to see. So clients know what happened on their site, how the experience is perceived and why.
One of our clients, a telemedicine provider, learned that many visitors viewed the company as a health insurance provider; their virtual health care benefit was getting lost. Our user videos and recommendations helped increase their sales conversions by 18%.
We also help clients with advanced web analytics, but analytics tells what happened on a web site, not why it happened. User Insights goes deeper. By understanding motivations, perceptions and attitudes, you can learn much more than simply viewing a dashboard full of numbers. You can also see and hear what users notice, don’t notice, what they like and what they don’t—in the words of actual users. Videos are professionally edited, made ready for the boardroom, and accompanied with full transcriptions and detailed recommendations for improvement (from a team that has run digital businesses generating nearly $500 million). Check out the video overview here.
If you know someone who can benefit from User Insights, drop us a line or give us a call at 917-373-7451. The service can also be used to learn what users think of your competitors’ sites vs. your own. We are currently forming partnerships with other companies that have complimentary services.
And getting back to the topic of the panel, the lesson of User Insights is to learn more by keeping it simple. Got questions? Ask your audience.
