E-Service:Chapter 6
Design
for Distinction
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by
Ron Zemke and Tom Connellan
Walk into the Godiva shop
in Water Tower Place shopping center on Chicago's Michigan Avenue and you know
you've entered a special space. With your first breath you inhale the rich decadent
smell of chocolate. The curved golden walls, art nouveau designs, and elegant
display of chocolates all work in concert to say "come in," "browse,"
"take something home." You know you aren't just buying candy, you are
experiencing Godiva.
Click to Godiva.com and you know you have
entered a special Web space. While the fragrance isn't there -- yet -- the look,
the feel, the ambiance are just what you would expect of a site dedicated to the
expensive, high-quality, melt-in-your mouth, special occasion chocolates and truffles
that bear the Godiva name.
As importantly, the look and feel
of Godiva.com reflects the look, feel, and ambiance of a brick and mortar Godiva
boutique. Just as the physical Godiva stores exudes quality, taste, and a touch
of indulgence, the Godiva.com Web site sends the same subliminal "Go ahead.
You deserve it" message. It is exactly what we mean by designing for distinction
and branding every touchpoint.
It may seem strange for us to
be discussing design in a book dedicated to e-service. But in our view, distinctive
design is only partly about building an eye-appealing Web site, more importantly,
it's about building trust and loyalty and creating a unique service experience.
There are thousands of mediocre retail Web sites that do little more than offer
a list of items for sale. The successful ones imbed themselves in shoppers' memories
through a smooth, effortless feeling of being well served. From the first click,
shoppers are drawn in, made curious, and delighted by the display of offerings.
When every link works and help is given if and when it's needed, the experience
is secured in trust. Whether or not they buy on the first visit, the visit is
branded in their memories, and they will return to experience it again.
Lands'
End is another organization that knows the importance of making every e-space
touchpoint exude the brand identity -- the feel and look, the ambiance and personal
care service -- that characterize the company's catalog, phone, and outlet store
operations. Specialized tools, live access to customer service reps (CSRs), and
multiple ways to browse and shop work in concert to convey LandsEnd.com's dedication
to customer service and desire to please the customer.
Sites,
like LandsEnd.com and Godiva.com, which are designed for distinction -- to stand
out in the user's mind -- take their offerings far beyond the quaint and largely
outdated storefront metaphor. They take the time to evaluate what their audiences
want and present their goods and services memorably, reliably, and consistently.
Shopping at these sites feels real to the consumer -- whether she's a housewife
in Minnesota or a purchasing manager for a Fortune 500 firm in Philadelphia. A
well-branded site has a loyal, profitable following that guarantees its online
success and bottom-line performance.
