Guided Selling - An Introduction and User Study Results

Guided Selling

INDEPENDENT STUDY RESULTS AND BEST PRACTICES

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Prepared by:

Michael Hawley – VP Experience Design

May 26, 2009

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About Mad*Pow

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What Is Guided Selling?

DefinitionDefinitionDefinitionDefinition

•A process to educate consumers about a set of complex products or services

•Needed where consumers need support to make an informed selection

•More than presentation of list of options or features; a conversation or dialog

•Similar to in-person interaction with helpful salesperson

ProcessProcessProcessProcess

•Lead a consumer through a set of questions that assess their values, intended

usage and knowledge of a particular category

•Use information to direct consumer to product selections that meet their needs

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Guided Selling is Not Faceted Navigation or Filtering

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What Did We Do?

GoalGoalGoalGoal

•Conduct independent study to assess strengths and weaknesses of various

guided selling tools to learn best practices and inform future design decisions

Sample Research QuestionsSample Research QuestionsSample Research QuestionsSample Research Questions

• To what extent do we need to show results narrowing through interaction?• To what extent do we need to show results narrowing through interaction?

•How are video, audio and other multimedia best used?

•Are progress indicators necessary? If so, how should they be displayed?

•Do users need the ability to go back in the interaction? If so, how?

•How should suggestions or “results” be displayed?

•Are there circumstances where guided selling works best?

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Research Method 1: One-on-one Task-based Comparative Usability Test

MethodologyMethodologyMethodologyMethodology

•Six different guided selling applications, each

participant interacts with three

• 15 participants, sequence of sites randomized to

prevent order bias

•Mix of age groups, gender, online proficiency

TriadingTriadingTriadingTriading

•Qualitative interview

technique that reveals

constructs

•Elicits attributes that are

important to users in their •Mix of age groups, gender, online proficiency

• Think-aloud protocol during task-based

interaction with each site

•Participant “Triad” comparison of three sites

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vocabulary

•Researcher asks the

participant to identify how

two of the three examples

are different from the

third

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Triading Example

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“Identify how two of the three examples are different from the third.”

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Research Method 2: Unmoderated Interaction and Feedback

MethodologyMethodologyMethodologyMethodology

•Online, unmoderated participant interaction with

each site

• 20 participants interacted with each site, 120

participants total

• Tasks and follow up questions informed by

Sample Tasks/QuestionsSample Tasks/QuestionsSample Tasks/QuestionsSample Tasks/Questions

1. While answering

questions, what did you

like? and dislike?

2. While viewing the

results, what did you • Tasks and follow up questions informed by

results of one-on-one study

•Specific probing questions for each site

•Qualitative interpretation of participant feedback

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like? and dislike?

3. What aspect of the tool

confused you?

4. What about your

experience with this tool

stands out?

5. What would improve this

tool?

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Sites We Tested

Air Conditioners Running Shoes Laptops

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Air Conditioners Running Shoes Laptops

Life InsuranceMortgages Gifts

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Findings and Implications

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Perceived Speed Most Important Navigational Factor

FindingsFindingsFindingsFindings

•Progress indicators helpful but not main focus – especially for “branched” modules

•Add ability to leave guided module

•Support “pageless” design to increase perceived speed and increase perceived speed and indicate learning experience

•Support replay of audio enabled sections

•Maintain consistency for changing answers after “results” page

• First focus visitor on questions rather than result set

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Use Video with Caution, Leverage Audio to Enhance Experience

VideoVideoVideoVideo

• Video very polarizing, large impact on brand perception

• Low quality video production can appear gratuitous and unnecessary

• Spokesperson video = marketing?• Spokesperson video = marketing?

• Multimedia learning modules helpful

AudioAudioAudioAudio

• Obvious control for audio

• Elaborate on text, but text only should suffice

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“That’s an ill-fitting suit”

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Valid Questions and Responses Key to Module Success


•Present consequence of

response in question context

•Give ability to skip question if

responses don’t apply

•Add visual options if •Add visual options if

appropriate to aid

comprehension and increase

ease of use

•Provide mutually exclusive

responses where

appropriate

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Valid Questions and Responses Key to Module Success

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Build Trust by Recognizing Brand Position and Adapting Accordingly


•High degree of skepticism for guided

selling modules for “own-brand”

products

•Cross-brand aggregators have higher

inherent credibility

• Increase trust by showing tradeoffs

and impact of question responses

•Present rationale and options for

“results” pages that recommend most

expensive options

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Build Trust by Recognizing Brand Position and Adapting Accordingly

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Build For Learning, Finding, or Recommending

Learning

• Branching based on visitor needs

• Explaining and education within context of

Finding

• Speed, navigational flexibility and indication of progress

Recommending

• Personalized but not overly personal

• Highly dependent on result set

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education within context of experience

• High degree of personalization

• Interactive “sales” experience

progress

• Need for filtering and narrowing post results

• Research and reviews

• Highly dependent on result set

• Success with higher numbers of results

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For Learning Experience, Give Control of Pace


•Options to progressively learn and

branch OK, in fact, helpful

•Multi-media less effort for learning

than reading

•User research and personas can •User research and personas can

inform learning levels

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Give Visitor Control of Learning Experience

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“Results” Page: Be Mindful of Visitor Stage

Awareness Consider Preference Purchase Retention

•Offer value and

build personal

• Feature-based

comparisons

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build personal

relationship

•Printed or

emailed

collateral, online

bookmarks, etc.

•Add-ons and

cross sells

comparisons

•Clear, intuitive

conversion path

•Highlight

differentiators

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“Results” Page: Be Mindful of Visitor Stage

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“Results” Page: Show Impact of Responses


•End results should indicate impact

of responses

•Men gravitate towards comparison

charts

•Consider number of results •Consider number of results

depending on domain

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Summary


•Perceived Speed Most Important Navigational Factor

•Use Video with Caution, Leverage Audio to Enhance Experience

•Valid Questions and Responses Key to Module Success

•Build Trust by Recognizing Brand Position and Adapting Accordingly

•Build For Learning, Finding, or Recommending

• For Learning Experience, Give Control of Pace

•Show Impact of Responses on “Results” Page

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Thank You

DocumentationDocumentationDocumentationDocumentation

•Results and full presentation slides:

http://www.madpow.net

Have a question? Have a question? Have a question? Have a question?

Michael Hawley

[email protected]

@hawleymichael

603-436-7177

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