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?
