When gasoline pumps first started dotting
the countryside, you pulled up to them, a
handsome young man in a clean, blue uniform
and cap stuck the nozzle in your tank and
responded
promptly to your request to "fill 'er up."
The loss of the handsome young man in the
clean, blue cap isn't the only change we've
seen over the years.
In a bid by fuel retailers to win your
business, you now have a choice of at least three
and as many as five grades of gas, you can
pay at the window or at the pump, you can
pay using credit cards (including MasterCard,
VISA, and a host of others), Interac, gift
certificates or by using a key fob that uses
radio-frequency technology.
And once you've paid, you may get any number
of Air Miles (or other) points, allowing you
to purchase stuff you just can't live without.
Whew!
This all seems like great news for the
customer. But is it? I can't count the number
of times I've seen people at the pump next to
me staring at the dispenser as if it were an
alien. Personally, I pay inside
because every pump's system is different and
I couldn't be bothered to figure it out each
time.
When you add features, you add complexity.
And this added complexity, if you are not
careful, can serve to dissuade customers, not
attract them.
Now, let's talk about your website.
Is it so overrun with features that the only
thing your customers can find is the exit?
You can have the best content in the world
and it will mean absolutely nothing if people
can't find their way around.
How many websites have you visited where it
was everything you could do just to find a
telephone number? Sure, you might have enough
technology, choices and features to stun a
bear. But if all he wants is the honey jar,
can he find it?
