Research

Global brands that are serious about establishing and maintaining a worldwide online presence, must undertake international customer experience research to ensure regional credibility. It’s that simple.

It’s all too easy, even for high-profile commercial brands, to assume that a website which has proven to be highly successful in their native country, will make a seamless transition to other regions. A common pitfall for many firms is to build a global template site and then simply translate languages, currency and legal notices to comply with local markets. Without practical insights into local market attitudes and buying behavior, firms can be left bewildered by a poor reception and response to a site that has prompted positive feedback and results back home.

Part of our role in international customer experience research, is to inform global redesign and help to communicate brands in ways that are better understood by specific local audiences. One of my first tasks in this field was to assist with a global review of Adidas.com, identifying usability issues and brand perception across disparate international audience segments. We conducted usability evaluations in the UK, US, Germany and China before combining the findings into a single report containing market specific insights, similarities and differences and recommendations. In this way we helped to shape the global Adidas online re-design strategy.

Research like this is the bedrock on which global brands should build their regional confidence and international reputations. Another client of ours, who is a global technology & computer manufacturer, operates ecommerce sites in a vast number of countries around world. I’ve personally been to China, Japan, India and numerous EU countries to help refine its customer experience in diverse regions. Like most global organisations, they created a global site in the US which it rolls out in other countries. But before it can do that, it knows that that it needs to understand that people have different ways of purchasing goods and engaging with content depending on where they live. China has a history of cash on delivery and business invoicing for technology purchases, for example, and so many accepted western transactional models simply wouldn’t translate into sales. The overall trend then is one of global branding with localised content and practices. We also helped this same client understand their business customers worldwide by creating a set of personas for each of their mature markets. These were informed by quantitative data in the form of online survey responses and web analytics data insights. This was then enriched with qualitative local on-the-ground research to examine the different job titles and roles within their business, which would help shape the content and functionality they would need from a technology & computer supplier.

Customer Experience research in these circumstances is best conducted as a one-to-one, end-to-end process that is task oriented, allowing time to understand offline habits in order to pinpoint the stage at which local customers choose to engage with your website. It’s important to witness how customers like to navigate, how they read, how they like their screens organised and copy arranged, what terminology they use that may be different from other regions, and more. The next stage is to use focus group discussions to talk through concepts, ensure imagery and icons mean what they are intended to mean, and then recommend an accepted look and feel. Ethnographic research reveals a real understanding of cross-channel interaction with websites, and discovers what drives potential customers online or even offline. Reasons can be as diverse as cultural landscape or attitudes to security, but they need to be identified.

Of course operating a bespoke web presence in each country can cost businesses a lot of money, so customer experience research needs to be as efficient as possible. Foviance took the decision five years ago not to open offices around the world. We have in place a global network of local trusted usability consultancy partners with the same standards and values as Foviance, who are skilled at recruiting local representative demographic line-ups. This provides us with increased flexibility to deliver research in the locations most appropriate to our clients and their target markets. Moderation is always conducted in local language and translated real time for the client in attendance. We also deliver an English dubbed video of all the sessions for the stakeholders who could not make the travel and can even provide web streaming of the sessions around the globe - anything that they feel helps them deliver against their globalisation and localisation strategies.

Due to our years of experience and knowledge in conducting this type of research, our clients generally rely on us to manage the entire research programme using one of three main methods:

• Foviance Consultants can deliver the research in each individual location (if timelines allow) using our partners’ facilities. We employ French, German and Portuguese consultants.
• We manage the research remotely, carefully briefing our international partners who deliver the research and complete the analysis and reporting. This is then consolidated by us into a single overall report.
• Finally, with a Foviance Consultant attending the research sessions, we manage the research remotely, carefully, completing the analysis and preparing the report.

In essence we can conduct customer experience research anywhere; I have yet to be tasked with a location we could not reach. Equally importantly our business focused approach to customer experience research ensures that our global clients receive the insight they require into local markets as easily as if they conducted the research in the US or UK.

This week, 4th March 2009, I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend an “Influence Masterclass” being given by Bob Cialdini at the Royal Society of Physicians and sponsored by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES). Cialdini delivers a good presentation and whilst there was little different from the research described in his books (Influence: Science and Practice and Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion), he brought the examples to life and his stories and anecdotes meant I left able to share some of the learning with colleagues quite easily. The focus of Cialdini’s presentation was on 3 of his 6 principles of “Ethical Influence”. The 6 are:

• Reciprocity - you have to offer up first, but if you do something for someone they will do something for you
• Scarcity - increases the value of something
• Authority - people are convinced more easily by authority figures.
• Consistency - if someone commits to something publicly, they are more likely to stick with that idea
• Consensus - People are more likely to be influenced by the similar actions of a group of their peers
• Liking - people are more easily influenced if they like you

We heard in depth about scarcity, authority and consensus. Authority was really interesting and the use of the word “but” was revealed as crucial for establishing trust. Most people when trying to get their point of view across, front end the benefits and then, to establish that they are honest, throw in a couple of weaknesses at the end. For example I might say that “Foviance is a world leader in customer experience consulting ‘but’ we don’t do website graphic design.”

Cialdini argues that people will only hear and retain the information after the ‘but’ and that all we have to do is switch the order of what we say to fix the problem. So, what I should say is “Foviance doesn’t do website graphic design, ‘but’ we are world leaders in customer experience consulting.” In order for you to be more likely to believe what I say, I can have a colleague introduce me and say a little about my credentials.

Cialdini is quick to observe however that his techniques only work where there are real, truthful arguments and benefits, ‘but’ you can’t have everything can you.

The deepening gloom surrounding the global credit crisis is providing a distraction for many people in business from carrying out a review of what their business has achieved in the past 12 months and how the market has changed. Foviance is no different, although we are fortunate in that we carried out a complete review of our business some 18 months ago as we felt it could be run better. This has enabled us to be slightly more outward looking than we might have been had we not done this and made the changes that resulted. So I am able to take a look at the last 12 months and consider what we achieved and how the market has evolved.Our year began with a face lift for our reception area and offices. Our usability labs have never been as busy as they have this year and we have had more than 1,000 participants through Foviance doors this year for various client research. With many of our customers spending long days with us viewing the research, we felt the place needed a new coat of paint and a more professional feel - despite being only two years old! Further improvements are planned for next year to the lab technology and it seems credit crunch or not, testing key user journeys remains a critical success factor for many businesses.

The other area of our business that we have been working hard to develop and really took off in 2008 is product testing. Since we started the business in 2001, we have carried out product research but it has come to us rather than us seek it out. We took Microsoft’s tablet PC all over the world in 2001 and since have tested everything from printer control panels to laptops and beyond. It seems to me the change we have seen is driven by two factors.

The first is the global market place that has developed, and many brands are now routinely leveraging our Asian, US and European connections to test their products in multiple markets. The second is the convergence in mobile and small portable devices between software and hardware from a user experience standpoint.

It seems to me that this year the willingness to adapt the hardware in order to maximise the user experience in the software has increased substantially. It is easy to credit the Apple iphone with this evolution but I believe it is the general increase in comfort and understanding of technology that has facilitated this. In my opinion, more is to come.

Looking back on 2008, I think businesses were just starting to ‘get’ cross-channel customer experience.
I use the past tense because I think for many, the credit crisis will (if it has not already) send them backwards. This is a mistake. I have met many businesses this year that had started to think about the customer experience they want to deliver across all their channels in the same way they think about the brand holistically. A planned and well executed customer experience means that when a customer goes online, visits the store or calls the call centre, they receive a consistently good experience. If they do they are more likely to convert, remain loyal and become advocates. The trouble is, being organised is more expensive upfront which is why I think we will see the progress made this year eroded.

We ended the year with the acquisition of Applied Insights which I was, and remain absolutely delighted about. “When the going gets tough, the tough get measuring” I am told and that certainly seems to be the case. Since Neil Mason joined us we have hardly seen him or the team, such is the demand from organisations that want to understand what is going on in their businesses.

So, not a bad year, we achieved many of our goals and I feel we are well equipped to cope with whatever the market throws at us next year. There is uncertainty from our clients about their businesses and markets but I think that can only help us, and our industry deliver more value and create new and exciting ways to do so. The year ahead will be tough for a lot of businesses, but I am optimistic that customer experience research will continue to play a vital role in the success of businesses in every sector.

Foviance survey identifies gap in travel industry. Market research reveals how businesses are missing out on sales by using outdated means to understand customers.

London, UK, 24 November 2008 - Foviance, the expert in digital customer experience, has found that singles aged between 31-45 years old cannot find a holiday which suits their needs. Foviance’s research demonstrates how a focus on customer experience can help to create markets, drive sales and increase customer satisfaction, as 68% of respondents said they would travel on their own if they could find the right holiday.

A survey of 530 respondents, with an even breakdown between men and women, all of which had travelled at least once in the last year, found that half had in the past chosen not to go on holiday to avoid what they feared would be the typical ‘singles’ holiday.

The full research report entitled “Making the intangible tangible” found the travel sector is missing out on a massive opportunity by not understanding the needs of a large potential market. While most travel companies know the basics about customers such as their age, sex and where they live, they fail to understand who these people really are and what they want out of a holiday.

The main reason behind this age group choosing not to travel (as a single person) was that they had no one to go away with (31%). 10% of people also admitted to being embarrassed that they were single. This embarrassment was not only felt during the booking phase but also while on holiday. Location, meeting like-minded people of a similar age group and being away from younger singles’ parties were all cited as priorities. They felt what was on offer from the travel industry does not suit their needs.

Creating a positive customer experience depends on providing a holistic experience which supports every step of the customer interaction. While companies are finding it difficult to design consistent customer experiences that differentiate them as an organisation, by understanding customers and creating products that meet their expectations, there is also a significant opportunity to become a trusted advisor and ultimately maximise the relationship in monetary terms.

Currently, friends are seen as the most trusted source of information on singles holidays (25%), with websites coming a close second (21%). The least trusted source of information came from direct marketing (21%), blogs (18%), TV (13%), lifestyle magazines (11%) and travel press (11%).

Marty Carroll, Consultancy Director, Foviance said: “Organisations’ lack of understanding means that most focus on selling products and services rather than concentrating on delivering customer experiences. The end result is a fragmented product or service experience, delivered to a target audience which has been defined by a marketing tool developed for a market environment that no longer exists. Once organisations start focusing on who their customers really are what they love and hate and what they are missing out on, real customer experiences can be created. Companies that do not evolve and deliver exceptional customer experiences risk losing sales and market share to those that do.”

Download the full research report

Press coverage

Precision Marketing From brochure to browser
By David Reed, December 11, 2008

TravelWeekly Agents sign up for single travel site Someone2travelwith.com
By Chloe Berman, December 03, 2008

eTravelBlackboard Gen-X wants grown-up singles holidays
By Travel Blackboard, November 28, 2008

HotelMarketing.com Survey: Singles can’t find the right holiday
By Hotel Marketing, November 26, 2008

asap.co.ukNews Solo travellers say their needs are not being met
By Andrew Bones, November 26, 2008

Skyscanner.net Half of single travellers wouldn’t want to book flights abroad
By Skyscanner Ltd, November 26, 2008

Travolution.co.uk Foviance survey identifies gap in travel industry market
By Foviance Press Release, November 25, 2008

GoLearnToTravelBlog Time for new singles holiday ideas
By Vanessa, November 25, 2008

C&M.co.uk Industry ‘failing singles’
By C & M Recruitment, November 25, 2008

ulookubook.com Travel industry doesn’t cater to middle-aged singles
By Travel Industy News, November 25, 2008

WorldNewsNetwork links through to full story from Travel Daily News
TravelDailyNews Foviance survey identifies gap in travel industry market
By Travel Daily News International, November 25, 2008

NetImperative.com Travel industry missing trick with 30-something singles
By Net Imperative, November 25, 2008

For further press information please contact:
Melanie Hesketh / Becky Cheers
Prompt Communications for Foviance
+44 208 996 1638 / +44 208 996 1636
foviance@prompt-communications.com

In a recent article in Business Week’s Innovation section, Bruce Nussbaum investigated the impact that poorly executed, inadequately modelled and negligibly stress-tested financial instruments may have had on the ongoing global financial crash and pervading economic climate.Nussbaum captured the concept in a nutshell when he wrote: “Hundreds of hugely complex products based on hugely complex mathematic financial models were created and sold around the world-without first being tested out. There was little or no real-world iterative process… …In short, the innovation process was flawed. New inventions were not stress-tested in a real environment.”

It is obvious to draw parallels between this theory and how much effort our own industry puts into soft-launching and stress-testing online systems before unleashing them live on the wider community. Is it possible that similar attention to modelling by our investment banks and a reduced emphasis on getting to market as quickly as possible to reap the highest theoretical returns, might have avoided much of the mess we are now in?

In our experience, there are no shortcuts that can replace the benefits of thorough modelling and testing. We are experienced, working with financial service organizations and employ a range of financial modelling systems when creating products for that sector, regardless of the type and scale of banking application. We test, and retest with customers, conduct user surveys, and run real-world modelling. We listened to the top decision-makers from all sectors of global society at the annual Economic Forum in Davos back in January when they warned of just such an oversight, and we learned. Why didn’t the finance institutions and regulators do the same? Is it possible that they got ahead of themselves, bending over to product guys in order to reach a perceived sweet market as rapidly as possible, rather than following a risk-averse approach?

We work with high-profile financial clients like Barclays to ensure their online customers are provided with easy-to-use, highly secure, no risk products. Of course we are somewhat fortunate in that internet service modelling is logical and predictive - thanks to artificial server loading techniques we can run scenarios that see services oversubscribed by 100 percent and so on. But we also run pilot schemes, test groups, live tests, plus continuous testing and modelling post launch. We find real users to test products, and we ensure they are able to deposit and withdraw real funds long before products reach a wider market.

It appears that the investment banks we all rely upon simply skipped all these logical steps, going straight to market with poorly thought through products. Take the US public credit situation - if loans to citizens had been thoroughly modelled, it is probable that the disastrous toxic loan situation could have been avoided altogether. It’s important to ask the difficult questions - what if 20 percent of citizens can’t pay their loans back? What happens then?

Perhaps it is true that if organisations take the time to research, and model critical products and services carefully and thoroughly, they might miss out on early financial opportunities from time to time. But surely these steps should be considered vital, if not mandatory, to ensuring a solid, risk adverse financial landscape?

Online surveys. Love them or loath them, they work [when used correctly]. There isn’t a more effective research technique available today that allows for, amongst others, the ability to profile site visitors, ascertain why they are visiting and knowing whether their visit was a success. Despite this we often discourage our clients from using surveys. The reason? Most brands want to use surveys as an ‘asking’ rather than a ‘listening’ tool.

Surveys come undone ironically because they are so easy to deploy. With even a smidgen of programming knowledge, a spare afternoon and a (small) fistful of dollars it’s possible to spring a survey on the unsuspecting masses visiting your website. This ease explains why most people consider online surveys to be the internet equivalent of the uninvited windscreen cleaner. The vast majority of surveys have been poorly designed, have an unclear purpose and suffer from interminable issues with presentation (we’re all too familiar with intrusive survey invitations).

Online surveys are a compelling research method when they are used as a listening tool. This means that the survey is not used simply to ask questions but to listen to the responses aligned to a willingness to act on them. Regrettably most organisations today use surveys to ask the questions (usually the wrong ones), shake their heads depressingly at customer responses and then do absolutely nothing with the results. Our view is this: if strangers are kind enough to tell you how you can improve your business you should do something about it.

Resist the temptation. Don’t bother with surveys unless you are prepared to make the infrastructure and resource investments to ensure that these people are listened to. That means carefully planning how surveys are to be used, introducing a framework for managing feedback and making people accountable for acting on the feedback. When people feel listened to they will repay you in kind.

At the beginning of May, industry publication New Media Age (NMA) ran an editorial leader and case study supporting the notion that UK digital agencies tend to be “domestic and tactically focused”. Ian James, head of digital for Bacardi took the opportunity to raise the concern that: “clients’ needs are outrunning their agencies capabilities”.

As I wrote in a letter to NMA editor Justin Pearse, while this might be true of the majority of traditional design and build agencies, it is certainly not a failing that can be attributed to digital customer experience agencies. Read more…

Businesses could be missing out on a large and growing market opportunity because they don’t understand how the over-60s use the internet. Foviance recently completed research with Sheena Dosaj of City of London University, and we found that although there are differences in how older and younger people use the internet, nearly all older people studied considered themselves to be moderate or regular users of the internet (95% of over-60s). Our study was based on quantitative surveys (50 responses) and 20 one-to-one interviews, 10 interviewees being from the under-60s group and 10 from the over-60s.

Three quarters of the over-60s considered themselves to be intermediate or advanced users, which is surprising given that only 45% of over-60s had been using the internet for more than five years (compared to 75% in the younger age group). While under-60s tended to go online during the afternoon, the over-60s typically surfed in the evening, some even after midnight. Under-60s tended to use laptops and access the internet from wherever they were, but 70% of the over-60s had a separate room (such as a study) set up with a desktop PC for their web surfing.

As might be expected, the two age groups used the internet for different activities. The over-60s rarely used the internet for games, downloading music or video, which was perhaps to be expected. But they scored equally badly with online banking. Less than 35% said they banked online often or very often. Security topped the list of their biggest concerns.

Vision and memory proved challenging for the over-60s. They often failed to notice on-screen gadgets, which resulted in them activating site features they were not expecting to. 90% of the over-60s wore glasses when online and sometimes had to move closer to the screen to read it. Nobody we studied used, nor was even aware of, browser features to increase the font size.

When participants tried to remember a web address and type it into the URL bar, they often struggled to do so. Many wrote down the names of websites they visited (despite bookmarking favourites) and also kept newspaper or magazine clippings with web addresses on them. One study participant had a pile stapled together which they frequently referred to.

Our study showed that over-60s are an enthusiastic and active internet user group but website providers must do more to cater for their needs. Education is fundamental as are demonstrable improvements in security. Better help delivered in an unobtrusive, legible and contextual manner may help users get more out of the internet and improve their overall experience.