Those extra requirements can quickly morph into "customer hassles" -- the kinds of aggravations that make consumers feel mildly annoyed all the way to really angry or stupid. And unless they're very unhappy, customers often leave quietly, without telling us why. They simply vote with their wallets, taking their business elsewhere.

In contrast, to compete successfully today, we need to do just the opposite. We need to create "raving fans" -- people who can't stop telling their friends, family, and colleagues just how wonderful our products and services are. How should we go about doing this?

Without easy-to-use products and services, it's hard to attract raving fans. This article, the first in a series, takes a look at two of the factors -- simplicity and built-in guidance -- that contribute greatly to customer satisfaction.

Can We Go Down the Up Escalator?

You may have heard results from marketing surveys in which consumers are asking for simpler products with fewer features and shorter learning curves. Even if you haven't been aware this particular trend, ask yourself -- do I need more complicated appliances? Or even one more feature on my telephone?

A recent article in US News and World Report on taming technology bemoaned the fact that the same electronic gizmos we depend on daily are often the source of our frustrations. Gadgets are smaller and cost less, but they don't necessarily work the way we want them to. Why? They're much too complicated! Ironically, the more manufacturers feel compelled to add frilly, complex features, the more consumers feel compelled to buy them. The antidote, the article goes on to say, is returning to basics by striving for ease of use and dependability. Similarly, if we all avoid the temptation to heap on fancy features and functions in our offerings, we'll have a much better chance of keeping customers loyal, happy, and returning for more.

Example 1: Simplicity Lost

Enter a telling story about a hypothetical company called Word Style Leader (or WSL for short). WSL's troubles followed an all-too-familiar pattern. For nine years, it successfully made software that customers bought in droves. During that blissful time, WSL's products reflected simple, clean features and interfaces. WSL did not push frilly functionality, but instead offered steady, incremental improvements that were consistent in appearance and easy for customers to master.

But because of that success, WSL accelerated the pace of adding enhancements and options to its star product to stay ahead of the competition. One day, though, this strategy began to backfire. After a certain point, WSL's software had become too tricky -- too complex for the average consumer to use. Its latest Internet-savvy upgrade was whizzy; however, the interface was now jumbled with far too many confusing choices. Even existing customers couldn't recognize familiar tasks.

Business declined. Yet WSL stayed oblivious to the symptoms and their causes. Why was that? It didn't probe its own customer satisfaction, conduct marketing surveys, or study consumer trends.

Unfortunately, like many companies, WSL remained committed to a mistaken belief that perpetually adding deluxe features would increase customer happiness as well as revenue. Consequently, no one at WSL ever figured out the bottom-line truth: Its own customer preferences echoed the simpler tastes revealed by recent consumer studies. In its customers' eyes, less was unquestionably more.

Example 2: Popularity Gained

Wherever simplification leaves off, built-in guidance can help make the remaining tasks a breeze. In a software product, for example, such guidance can come in the form of tightly interwoven tips and hints, overviews, demonstrations, wizards, and other systematic interactions that intelligently aid people in achieving their goals.

An excellent example of customer guidance lives in a certain popular U.S. income tax preparation software package. Its step-by-step process leads users through a series of queries that helps them perform each task correctly, even if they don't know the first thing about the U.S. tax code. Systems like this can greatly reduce or eliminate customer training and often avoid the need for professional tax assistance. It's no wonder that consumers rave about this product!

So, What Should We Aim For?

Below are four things to consider with regard to ease of use in your offerings:

1. Are your products or services designed as simply as possible?

Have you researched what customers truly want and need, resisting the pressure or temptation to overload your offerings with "too much stuff"? Have the interfaces been developed and tested with ease of use in mind?

2. Do your offerings support your customers' main objectives?

Assuming that you've removed hassles and annoying busywork from your offerings, does what remains help support your customers' real-life needs -- the things people were trying to accomplish before they ever turned to your wares for help? Do customers receive just-in-time assistance on completing each step?

3. Can customers explore deeper features when they're ready?

Can they expose additional layers of information, such as tutorials, at their discretion? Are the tutorials directly linked to the tasks at hand?

4. Is every element of the system compatible and complete?

Will customers see the same terminology, consistent features and naming conventions, and predictable behavior throughout the system?

In conclusion, keeping your offerings simple and consistent, while simultaneously supporting whatever people are really trying to accomplish, should lead to years of customer gratitude and loyalty.

Copyright 2006 Adele Sommers