Make it Easy for People to Work With You

Apr 14

I was ready to hire someone.

After years of doing everything myself, I was ready to invest more into my business. This was a big decision for me because I don’t make decisions quickly. Deliberative is one of my top five CliftonStrengths, which means most decisions require a careful consideration of the pros, cons, and risks. Including how I spend money.

So when I’m ready to pay someone for their services, it’s a big deal. After researching some potential options, I tried connect with a few.

Here’s what happened:

One website was under construction
Many business owners didn’t have a website
Most websites I did browse were confusing, distracting, or just bad

It was hard for me to say yes. I was ready to give them my time and money, but instead I gave up. I didn’t get what I wanted and neither did they.

I don’t want that to happen to you.

People are hardwired to seek the path of least resistance. We want the easy path.

It doesn’t take much for us to get distracted or lose our focus. When business owners understand these idiosyncracies of human nature we can design for it.

Behavior science tell us about people. Behavior design applies it IRL.

It’s why it needs to be the foundation of your website.

Behavior science focuses on why people think and behave like they do. And behavior design is how we use that knowledge to change someone’s behavior. Though I’d been applying these approaches for years in my coaching practice, I gained a much deeper understanding of how to do this ethically for marketing when I completing the Irrational Labs Behavioral Design Bootcamp in 2022.

“By designing solutions that align with human psychology, we can make it easier for people to do things they already want to do.”

One of the most effective way to do this is to make something easy.

If you want people to buy from you, here’s what that looks like:

Reduce the effort required: remove even the smallest barriers to action
Simplify your messaging: make it clear and easy to understand

People find you when they need information, a service, or a physical product. Many are ready and willing to give you their money, time or both, but if you make it hard they won’t.

Your website shouldn’t be a long line.

I needed a new outfit recently, so I headed to a national retailer who offered the selection I wanted.

After spending time searching the aisles, I chose a single item and headed toward the line. But the it was long… too long. Even though I was not in a hurry and had time to wait, I didn’t. Why? Because I’m impatient. And the long line made waiting hard. I returned the item to the (wrong) rack and walked away empty handed.

This might sound silly after I’d invested so much time to find what I needed. But I’d guess I’m not alone. Most of us walk away more often than we think, especially online.

Don’t make your website feel like that long line.

Almost everyone who visits your website is impatient, like me. We’re busy, distracted, and want things quickly. But here’s the catch. In virtual environments they scan the line before looking around.

What are they looking for?