IKEA, famous decoration store has a maze-like store arrangement. The rumor is that IKEA wants to keep its customers as much as possible in their stores. However, IKEA claims that they want their customers to give decoration ideas.*
The basic need of businesses is that customers should spend as much time as possible in their stores and make a purchase. Customers should easily find whatever they want in a store. Accurate navigation in your store is the key factor for successful customer experience.
On May 31th and June 1st 2016, we arranged a sector meeting about customer experience in Hotels and Retail stores. Our customers share their experiences with our other guests to brainstorm about customer experience strategy and management. Although our topic is how customer experience can be idealised, we mistakenly designed some points about navigation for our guests in our office. After our sector meeting, we collected feedback using our own product for survey. It was shocking for us to see that many of our guests did not find our navigation signs because we placed them on the floor. Also, some guests did not notice guide sign for Presentation Room and WC because of deficient design.
- Short and Concentrated Context
It gave us a good lesson on why is it important to focus on navigation. Customers are in a rush in stores because today’s customer is used to quickly addressing the needs. Our customers do not want to spare time for reading signs. Your guide signs should have a brief content.
2. Visibility and Readability
This is where we missed out. If a guide sign cannot be read or seen, it has no value for a store. Signs should be goal-oriented. It is important that type size, the color of letters and background should be in compliance. Also, you must give attention to where you place your guide signs.
For example, if the customers cannot read or recognise the bathroom sign, this would be a bad customer experience for a restaurant.
3. Clear Purpose
Guide signs also help you get your sales up, if done correctly with a clear purpose and emotions attached. You should give clear purpose to your customers. For example, Not — Buy Flowers! Buy Flowers to surprise your loved ones!
You may find effective navigation system in your store by trial and error. However, high-tech digital surveys immediately show where you fail.
When we used our own feedback collection system and asked our users to give us feedback on our sector meeting, it revealed a lot of things that we were unaware of. This helped us to design more efficient direction signs that will help our guests. You may be able to find things which you were unaware of using Pisano. Pisano is a customer experience tool for your business. It collects and analyzes real-customer feedback to grow your business.
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