I was in a client meeting yesterday, and a very interesting thing happened. As we were reviewing website, the UE Web guy pulled up the Basecamp website. After reviewing this site, which is pretty unique in its streamlined direct marketing approach, he said, “In many ways this site is designed like an app, not a website”. He said this because the site eschews classic website navigation for a more structured progression through screens, like navigating a mobile app. The user is led through a series of intuitive steps all leading the user to sign up for a trial.
Now, there’s a lot to like and quite a bit I could criticize about the Basecamp site, and their approach is not right for everyone. But that simple statement, “…this site is designed like an app” got me to thinking differently about website design.
What if our corporate sites were finally able to shed the brochure-ware legacy of the last nearly 20 years. Move past the destination site mantra of 10 years ago and beyond the “content marketing” hub idea in vogue today and start to think like this. “My website is an App that goal is to guide the visitor through the buying process, it’s not for everyone, but if you come because you are a possible customer, it will hum beyond belief”
What if instead of hiring a web designer, you hired an app designer and said, “My prospects go through a process of Discovery, Exploration, Evaluation/Trial and Purchase” build me an app that helps them do that quickly, efficiently and effectively. My goals and to educate, engage and covert them through the phases.” The entire website becomes a “Buying experience”, immersive, focused and powerful.
If you started there, how different would your website be? What would the implications of this be on some of the “Marquee pages” we focus on today, like “Company” and “Customers”…how would this change our lead capture and nurturing strategies?
Just thinking about this for a bit, this seems to be a transformative idea and I’m pretty excited about exploring it more. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this approach, anyone you know who has taken it, and whether it’s exciting to you too…
Sure, website cab be a mechanism to guide their path…but…more and more it’s the app itself that takes over the process — or at least should.
That is, SaaS companies pass behavioral data to from their application to a marketing automation tool, like Marketo to trigger actions. Good examples of this are SaaS trials and freemium.
Line is blurring between app and site, but it is a mindshift from Marketing and Sales Automation to Buying Automation 🙂
So much of our content can be thought of as a guided experience, for which apps can be a great medium, whether you’re trying to sell or impart information. It takes a combination of content strategy and architecture with application and UX design (distinct skill sets and professions) to make this happen. I have come to the conclusion after experimenting with a variety of information delivery mechanisms, including apps that, as you say, this is can be a winning model for many (though not all) types of information.
Pair that with a solid content management strategy, using a CMS as intended, and with solid analytics, and you can really get people engaged in your products.
Thanks Helena, good thoughts. I just think we are still, fundamentally stuck in brochureware on corporate B2B sites, and would love to see movement away from that