digital marketing eCommerce connectivity & hosting content management web 2.0 & social media
looking for results in a recession? Go digital.
“An experienced digital agency is every brand’s perfect partner during tough Smart digital agencies, particularly those that survived the last industry recession,
financial times” says Justin Cooke, managing director at Fortune Cookie. which wiped out $5 trillion in market value of technology companies, will look
The economic downturn is forcing brand owners to evaluate their investments more
towards Europe for new opportunities. While a devalued Pound may appear to be
closely. Meanwhile, digital channels (such as web) continue to produce outstanding
bad news for businesses at home, European companies that have long craved
business results.
access to the talent and expertise of British digital designers are starting to find British
design more affordable.
Digital can be a more cost effective (and profitable) way to run a business during
times of economic uncertainty. Smarter brand owners know that the key to powering
London is rich in digital talent that until now has been beyond the reach of many
through a recession is to spend wisely, not necessarily to spend less.
European businesses due to cost. The relative weakness of the Pound means British
design is now 40% cheaper. European businesses that have been denied the
So what makes digital different?
support of the best British digital agencies due to price can now afford it.
Digital projects can reduce business costs and management overheads because
the web is a very cost effective channel for sales, marketing and customer service.
The bottom line? Brands that make smart, informed decisions about where and
Digital agencies enable clients to invest in more efficient ways of working and
when to invest during the credit crunch are more likely to power through this
exploit the web’s many advantages over costly bricks and mortar and call centres.
challenging period. Digital agencies that act as strategic partners and nurture
their client relationships, that appreciate the critical importance of efficiency and
To take one example, National Rail Enquiries (www.nationalrail.co.uk) is the most
value and look for opportunities to move into new territories such as Europe, will also
telephoned number in Britain, with 140 million customer contacts per year. Enquiries
continue to thrive.
that are dealt with via call centres cost NRE £0.50 per customer contact. In order to
make business efficiencies – and for travellers’ convenience – NRE needs to drive
Visit Fortune Cookie on stand e4047.
more enquirers online. Fortune Cookie is an independent digital design agency whose clients
NRE developed a virtual agent, “Ask LISA”, to handle timetable and other rail
include National Rail Enquiries, Amnesty International, UEFA, Europcar,
travel enquiries via its website. LISA now handles 300,000 enquiries per month with
Miss Selfridge, Lawn Tennis Association, Accor Services and Metro International.
90% accuracy (a higher rate than NRE’s off-shore human call centres). Enquiries
www.fortunecookie.co.uk
handled by LISA cost NRE just £0.03 per customer contact. So by investing in a Justin Cooke – Managing Director of Fortune Cookie
digital channel, NRE has made a considerable cost saving, reducing the number of
customer contacts it handles over the phone by 30%.
Smart businesses will power through the credit crunch by investing in larger and
more strategic web projects like these. Smart digital agencies will survive by re-
positioning themselves as strategic partners to their clients.
usability
Your customers can do business with you online, but will they want to? Persuasive design is used to greatest advantage when it provides guided paths
In today’s interactive space, it is increasingly likely that your website will be your
that create desire as customers discover additional rewards and value on your
customers’ first point of contact with you. As conversations start and often end
site. If your customers, for example, are buying a computer online, then ideally
on the web, your site has to deliver an online experience that engages your
they would not leave your site after buying one. They would then buy a printer
customers.
and ink cartridges.
Usability is now much more than simply ensuring your customers can navigate
Even today, many companies design a website to their taste, rather than for
your site and complete specific tasks. Its design has to create a conversation
their customers. The key is to understand how your customers’ thinking flows
with each of your customer groups, define the decision space and encourage
from one conversion opportunity to the next. Your site should be designed to
desired actions through persuasion, emotion and trust.
offer a limited, comfortable array of likely next journeys that are informed by
what your customer has just done and is likely to be thinking of next.
Persuasive design encompasses the rational and emotional elements of
the decision-making process. That means that the value of your website is
What’s in it for you?
no longer determined by whether your customers can do business with you
In an e-commerce environment, persuasion flow must lead customers through
(usability). It is determined by whether they will do business with you (persuasion).
the entire purchasing process, reinforcing trust and engaging them at every
step through effective messaging, content, visuals, and features. A well-
The purpose of your website is to help you meet your business objectives.
designed persuasion flow will increase:
However, before you can persuade your customers to do anything, you must
define your persuasion objective. What do you want your website to achieve?
• Conversion rates
What action do you want your customers to take? The objective for an airline’s
• Cross-sell and up-sell
customer-facing website, for example, might be to persuade customers to
• Brand appeal
book their flights online.
• Customer loyalty
Persuasive designs don’t just happen. They are developed taking into account
When persuasive moments unfold in a way that matches and supports your
drivers like hope, anticipation, and excitement that emotionally engage
customers’ thinking patterns, your site will feel more natural to interact with – just
customers and motivate them to take action. Just as importantly, persuasive
like having a conversation with someone you know.
design anticipates the emotional blocks that can inhibit or undermine their Visit human Factors on stand e5045.
decision making.
nigel Grace – Managing Director, Human Factors International
What customers want
People like choices but too many can be overwhelming. Choices are
more meaningful and more predictable when they are based on concrete
comparisons with other products, services, and prices. Driving customers
towards a specific choice by placing it next to a less appealing offer can make
the desired choice appear more valuable.
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