Learn how to listen your customers and they’ll remain loyal to you.
One of my favorite websites is nike.com. This site is nike’s online store.
Nike’ s site is a great customer-centric example. Upon entering the site, you find an engaging picture and clear navigation. The navigation uses icons with text to make it easier to figure out where to go. You have several options to search the item you are looking for: by gender, by sport, or by type (shoes, tops, pants and etc). Easy navigation, clear structure and great colours make one’s experience on the website pleasant.
My favorite feature of the website is that you can “customize” your product. You can choose your favorite colors, select the weigh of shoe that feels best, and even add a personal message. Furthermore, it’s very easy to order, and before checking out you know how long delivery will take. Additionally, you can share your design with your friends via social networks.
There is only one disadvantage I found, that delivery to Canada will take approximately 30 days (“Customize” option is a great gift idea, but often gifts can be last minute buy, so that is where Nike will lose its customers).
For comparison let’s have a look at an organization-centric website of Sunlife insurance. As an example, my goal would be to find out about life insurance plans and make a decision which one will be better for me.
There are several live insurance plans I can choose, first I go to the section of “Term life insurance”.
http://www.sunlife.ca/Canada/sunlifeCA/Life/Term+life+insurance?vgnLocale=en_CA
Let’s take a closer look at the content:
“What is term life insurance? - Term life insurance provides temporary protection for temporary needs. It also has some flexibility, so you can adjust your insurance as your needs change.
Term life insurance is a popular choice for:
individuals focused on affordability and flexibility
business owners with complex needs like key person protection"
Information above didn’t give me any clear answers, on opposite side it created more questions.
Let’s continue to search the content on the page. Next follows the long table which gives five term life insurance options:
FutureInsure Term Life Express
A first criterion in the table is “Guaranteed premiums”. Will look at this criterion among five plans.
SunSpectrum Basic Life: Your premiums are guaranteed for 25 years or to age 65, whichever comes first.
SunspectrumTerm: Your premiums automatically renew (at guaranteed rates) at the end of your term.
Sunspectrum Joint Term: Your premiums automatically renew (at guaranteed rates) at the end of your term.
SunTerm: Your premiums automatically renew (at guaranteed rates) at the end of your term.
FutureInsure Term Life Express: Your premiums may change annually but only on the policy anniversary. If the premium does change, we'll give you 30 days written notice before the change is made.
There are other criteria I’m suggested to look at and other plans (“Permanent life insurance” and “Universal life insurance”) that I suggested to compare with, but at this point I don’t want to read the website anymore. I know that I won’t be able to make a decision based on the website content and I would need to call to Sunlife or book an appointment with an agent.
Customer-centric versus organization-centric is like a conversation with a good friend versus conversation with a stranger. To be customer-centric, first of all, means to be able to listen carefully and understand your customers' needs and then take care of them. Furthermore, customer-centric means to be flexible and inclusive (let customer to be part of the process). My experience on the Nike’s website was pleasant, because it was easy,efficient and allowed me to use my creativity, versus experience on the organization-centric Sunlife’s website, which was not very helpful.