Brunner Digital Blog

“We need a new site. The old one is ugly, buggy, and doesn’t do what we want. We want one that looks like ___________. That’s a really great site.”

I wonder how many times those words have been spoken in conference rooms across the country. Heck, across the world, even. It’s only natural. Each of us has a favorite site, or sites – we like how they look, we like how they work, we like the way we’re able to use them when we use them ourselves. So it’s only natural for us to want to re-create an experience we already know we like for our customers and prospects.

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

Because your customers and prospects may be (probably are) looking for something very different from you than a duplication of your favorite website. And what your customers are looking for from you is, in the end, what you need to deliver.

Try this exercise:

In new windows, launch the following three sites – nike.com; amazon.com; cnn.com. (Note: You’ll understand in a minute why the list is what it is, and how it can change, but for now, let’s just use these three.)

Ok, got ‘em open? Good. Now, take your time, click through the sites, compare, and form your opinion on this question: Which of those three is the best website? Stop reading this post until you have your answer formulated. Once it’s in your head, proceed to the next paragraph.

The answer? If you’re expecting me to say that there is no hard and fast answer, you’d be wrong. There is one. The hard and fast answer is: “It depends.”

It depends on what you’re looking for. If you want to buy something – a book, some music, or, well, just about anything, you’re going to find that amazon.com is the best of the three. If you want breaking news, cnn.com is a better choice. If you want to customize and order your next pair of running shoes, nike.com beats the other two hands down. So, determining which is the best website depends on what you want to do. Or rather, what your customers want to do. And that’s not just a statement about content. It’s about design, too. Make amazon.com look and act like nike.com, and it’s unusable. Flip that coin, and there’s an awful lot of brand engagement missing.

But, there’s more. It’s not just what your customers want to do – it’s what your customers want to do at any given moment. It’s not only conceivable, but probable, that a large number of people visit all three of the example sites on any given day. The same demographic – the same person – but three radically different sites, built to deliver three very different experiences.

What drives the boat is user intent. What’s the user looking for, that perhaps you (your product or service) can help them with? That’s where you start.

You’d think a starting point like that would lead, mostly, to ugly sites with nothing but text and maybe some ecommerce. But it doesn’t. Because lots of the time, your customers are looking for information, or product comparisons, specs, or even just entertainment. The key is designing a site that fulfils the mindset a user is most likely to have when she is actively looking for you, or for something that comes close to what you do. Content, visual design, and information architecture must balance what you have to say with what your customers and prospects want to hear.

Ultimately, the goal isn’t to design your favorite site. Instead, design your customers’ favorite site. You’ll both be happier if you do.