In the previous section, we discussed the importance of establishing trust with your users. Another way that is accomplished –one that deserves its own section- is different methods for putting users in control. This is especially important because most small business owners feel as if they are never in control, especially when it comes to managing their finances. However, our Quicken and Turbo Tax users also face similar challenges with their personal finances. So, the last issue a user on our online communities wants to experience is being ‘out of control.’
The Online Community team aims to give users confidence that they are ‘in control’ on our websites. There are many different aspects of being in control, such as:
- being in charge
- not being overwhelmed
- being part of a group
To help users feel in control, we do the following:
1. Start with few features: We design the site to what I call the ‘lowest common denominator,’ which basically means that we want to make sure the novice or the person with the least web experience (or online community experience) will feel comfortable on the site. When we launched the website (and even today), everyone wants us to just keep adding features. The most common request is ‘hey scott, build a wiki.’ Well, I see two problems with this. First, these users do not frame their request in Intuit speak and tell me the ‘What” – what they are solving for and secondly, they seem to ignore the research I share with them that there are a lot of our users that still are not even comfortable ‘blogging.’ Even though we are the one of the few truly market driven companies in Silicon Valley, we sometimes act like an engineer driven company with the ‘we will build it and they will come’ mentality. By starting with a few features, our users do not feel overwhelmed and therefore, ‘feel in control’
2. Let users help pick features: We often put a survey and started a discussion thread with our AllStars asking them to vote and comment on proposed future enhancements to the site. Now, I will be the first to admit that the AllStars are not always in the lowest common denominator group, but they are a good group to bounce ideas and concepts off of. Specially because most of them are accountants and consultants, and therefore understand their clients needs and technological know how. In case you were wondering, however, we also reach out to other user segments too, and ask them for feedback on where we should take the site. By giving them a ‘say in the future direction of the site’ they feel confident and control. After all, who wants to participate or use a site where they feel out of control or as if they are not comfortable with the site’s usability?
3. Acknowledge their expertise: Our ‘Guru’s can not resolve every issue on the site. To be honest, we do not have enough of them either to try and answer every question, and I believe that if the majority of users don’t answer other users’ questions, our model, our community site will not be scalable. So our Guru’s often ask for help, especially from users that have demonstrated their expertise in a certain industry or in explaining a feature or task using our products.
4. Give them credit: If we implement a user’s idea or if user provides feedback or participates in a beta test/research of a new area of the site, we give them credit. Recognition is a subtle way of helping a user feel as if they are part of something bigger than them, which in turn, makes them feel as if they are helping determine the site’s future.
5. Make sure your features and site work: And make sure what they do is predictable. Nothing worse than driving down a road without any street lights or street signs. Work with your UI team to let users know what will happen on the site. It is almost like putting breadcrums down for them to follow. Without them there is a feeling of helplessness or insecurity.
6. Let users know that you hear them: If they make a suggestion about how to change the site, don’t ignore it and don’t tell them they are wrong. Make it easy for them to get feedback to you and then let them know why or why not you are addressing their concerns. Communication – Especially two way communications – is a great way for making sure someone feels comfortable and confident about what is going on. Yea, it is like a marriage. This is a good place to also state that it is important to take responsibility for the site. If something is not working, then don’t deny it. If you can’t figure out why a user states they are having a problem with the site and you can recreate the problem, call them. Engage in a dialogue and work together to resolve the issue.
7. Promote eventual success: Let users know that they should be able to get answers to their questions, that they should receive assistance from others. If a user believes the outcome will eventually be positive (and that they will obtain useful information), this will increase their confidence in the community. Ironically, if they believe in a good outcome, they are also likely to put more effort into finding help. “Those who are convinced that they can be successful in carrying out the actions required for a successful outcome – who have ‘self efficiency’ – are likely to try harder and to persist longer when facing obstacles (Kanter, page 39, Confidence”) In an ideal world (and perhaps an area we will explore in the future), we would keep track of the number of times a user leaves the site without completing their task. We could contact them if this number, for example, was two or more times. Kanter in Confidence talks about the behaviors that occur when athletes experience loosing streaks, all of which could apply to a users in an online community when they can not complete their task (Confidence, pg 97):
a. Communication decreases / participation decreases: you have lost a member of your community
b. Respect decreases: They have less confidence in the community as well as the product
c. Criticism, the spreading of negativity and blame: They could will provide negative word of mouth, talking to other users)
d. Isolation increases and they turn their focus inward
e. Rifts widen and inequities grow: People in this situation blame others (pg 105)
f. Initiative decreases: At the most, they would be only lurkers at your community.
g. Aspirations diminish: There could be a chain reaction – and if aspirations decreases for a small business, it could be detrimental for a small business/
It is important to remember that confidence can evaporate very quickly. To help users regain it in your products/services/websites, can take a lifetime. People do not forget. I know I don’t.
I also like some of the guidelines Apple – the champs of making user feel in control – provide to their developers:
• Familiarity: The users mental model is based primarily on their previous experiences
• Simplicity. A mental model of a task is typically streamlined and focused on the fundamental components of the task. Although there may be myriad optional details associated with a given task, the basic components should not have to compete with the details for the user’s attention.
• Availability. A corollary of simplicity is availability. An uncluttered user interface is essential, but the availability of certain key features and settings the user needs is equally so. Avoid hiding such components too deeply in submenus or making them accessible only from a contextual menu.
• Discoverability. Encourage your users to discover functionality by providing cues about how to use user interface elements. If an element is clickable, for example, it must appear that way, or a user may never try clicking it. Be sure to use Aqua controls properly and avoid making controls invisible to inexperienced users.The idea of ‘giving users’ confidence’ to participate in an online community is often overlooked.
At Intuit, we believe this is one of the key areas that need to be addressed because the more confident users are with our products, services and online websites, they more comfortable they will be in providing feedback on how to make our products better. It also makes our customers more likely to proceed into the unknown, such as participating in an online community.
