Jay Ray Think Lab
A Place to Think - For Health Care
I was honored to be asked to present at Jay Ray's Think Lab earlier this month. The day long event was focused on marketing / technology solutions for regional health care providers and was held at The Inn at Gig Harbor.
The program included practical tips and discussion on a variety of topics, including my presentation, How to Wow! Website Innovation. Other presenters included Andrew Fry and JayRay staff.
My presentation, of course begged the question...How does one wow with the web?
Most of the time we think of wow we think of something visual, maybe Flash or beautiful design. Oftentimes, however, that beauty can truly be only one pixel deep. I decided instead of focusing on style and visual impact the point of the presentation would be to focus on making the interaction and functionality "wow" worthy.
I opened with the premise that branding and visual design are extremely important and just because they were not the focus of the talk did not mean they were not important or secondary. My point was to accept those as given, and instead to take the discussion a step further, to wow the users with ease of use, with thoughtful functions, with the website as a tool.
So what is good web innovation? What can we build into sites to make them more compelling and usable?
Define the Purpose
Beyond demographics, beyond preferences, answer, what is the reason for this website? What tasks do I want people to be able to accomplish? How will this site make my customers lives easier, make my life easier, save time or make money?
Answer these questions and eliminate all things that are not in alignment with that goal.
Develop user scenarios and outline paths users may follow in order to accomplish your stated purpose.
Make sure the purpose is clearly defined, easily perceived, and simply executed.
A perfect example of this is Google. When is the last time you were wowed by the visual design? My guess is you have been repeatedly "wowed" by the results...
Establish a Thoughful Process and Eliminate Bad Processes
Think about moving time consuming or cumbersome processes online. In the Health Care world there are a lot of forms to complete when you visit a doctor for the first time. Let's fill these things out online ahead of time and make them part of my "profile". Give me a login so I can update my info at any time.
It is important here to pause and remember that it is best to take baby steps in this area. Don't try and give your users everything all at once, instead start small, have them experience success every time they visit or interact with you and your website and then build on it.
So using the above example, I'd start with allowing me to edit my personal information, insurance info, etc. THEN after awhile add scheduling, test results, etc. Each new feature is a new chance to market the services and solutions.
The example I used in the Think Lab presentation was for lettermansclub.com. This website has streamlined the process of designing, fitting, and purchasing a lettermans jacket. Instead of taking a couple of hours to design and fit in the store, the customer can design it all online, view pricing and submit an order. The purpose and process of the site is crystal clear.
Partners - Choose Wisely
The final area we discussed was on selecting partners. It is important to focus on your core business. If you are a health care organization, don't try and be a web development company or a software development company, or a printing company. Instead find partners that share your values and offer non-restrictive, open solutions. I cannot stress that enough.
Do not limit yourself to a closed proprietary system. Make sure your content is easily distributed across a variety platforms, make sure your data is safe and easily shared among your systems, and make sure your partners understand your need for access, security, stability, and support.
Overall, it was a fantastic event and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to present. I am looking forward to next year's event.
The program included practical tips and discussion on a variety of topics, including my presentation, How to Wow! Website Innovation. Other presenters included Andrew Fry and JayRay staff.
My presentation, of course begged the question...How does one wow with the web?
Most of the time we think of wow we think of something visual, maybe Flash or beautiful design. Oftentimes, however, that beauty can truly be only one pixel deep. I decided instead of focusing on style and visual impact the point of the presentation would be to focus on making the interaction and functionality "wow" worthy.
I opened with the premise that branding and visual design are extremely important and just because they were not the focus of the talk did not mean they were not important or secondary. My point was to accept those as given, and instead to take the discussion a step further, to wow the users with ease of use, with thoughtful functions, with the website as a tool.
So what is good web innovation? What can we build into sites to make them more compelling and usable?
Define the Purpose
Beyond demographics, beyond preferences, answer, what is the reason for this website? What tasks do I want people to be able to accomplish? How will this site make my customers lives easier, make my life easier, save time or make money?
Answer these questions and eliminate all things that are not in alignment with that goal.
Develop user scenarios and outline paths users may follow in order to accomplish your stated purpose.
Make sure the purpose is clearly defined, easily perceived, and simply executed.
A perfect example of this is Google. When is the last time you were wowed by the visual design? My guess is you have been repeatedly "wowed" by the results...
Establish a Thoughful Process and Eliminate Bad Processes
Think about moving time consuming or cumbersome processes online. In the Health Care world there are a lot of forms to complete when you visit a doctor for the first time. Let's fill these things out online ahead of time and make them part of my "profile". Give me a login so I can update my info at any time.
It is important here to pause and remember that it is best to take baby steps in this area. Don't try and give your users everything all at once, instead start small, have them experience success every time they visit or interact with you and your website and then build on it.
So using the above example, I'd start with allowing me to edit my personal information, insurance info, etc. THEN after awhile add scheduling, test results, etc. Each new feature is a new chance to market the services and solutions.
The example I used in the Think Lab presentation was for lettermansclub.com. This website has streamlined the process of designing, fitting, and purchasing a lettermans jacket. Instead of taking a couple of hours to design and fit in the store, the customer can design it all online, view pricing and submit an order. The purpose and process of the site is crystal clear.
Partners - Choose Wisely
The final area we discussed was on selecting partners. It is important to focus on your core business. If you are a health care organization, don't try and be a web development company or a software development company, or a printing company. Instead find partners that share your values and offer non-restrictive, open solutions. I cannot stress that enough.
Do not limit yourself to a closed proprietary system. Make sure your content is easily distributed across a variety platforms, make sure your data is safe and easily shared among your systems, and make sure your partners understand your need for access, security, stability, and support.
Overall, it was a fantastic event and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to present. I am looking forward to next year's event.
Great presentation, Brian. Several of our guests were really impressed with what you and your staff are creating. Keep up the good work, especially the innovation.
Shari
Left by Shari Campbell | Jun. 20, 2008 at 3:42pm
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