My personal favorite request is when potential client's claim their site needs to have
"The WOW Factor" Immediately, I ask them to elaborate on what exactly defines "The WOW Factor" More often than not I receive the same varied reply, Well, it needs a flashy intro and some really cool effects and something that is memorable and keeps them coming back; something like
2advanced or
Nike, but without the black and maybe more video or sound. I'm not 100% sure what I want, but I'll know it when I see it. At this point the communication has seriously broken down and I encourage the designer to create a mockup page loading and upon completion a Unicorn magically appears on their screen only to leap from the screen into their office. Okay, that was a little sarcastic, but I guarantee it screams "The WOW Factor."
All kidding aside, the problem with "The WOW Factor" statement is that it is broad and undefined. As my ridiculous remarks earlier indicate, "The WOW Factor means different things to different people, and more importantly WOW doesn't guarantee results. Mark Hurst has a great article entitled
Customer experience and the wow factor, and in it he points out that Google and Craigslist have no wow factor but are still extremely effective. Instead of asking for "The WOW Factor" ask for the best user experience possible, ask for content that engages the reader and ask for a site that will properly convey your message. The results you get will have you saying "WOW!"
My personal favorite request is when potential client's claim their site needs to have "The WOW Factor" Immediately, I ask them to elaborate on what exactly defines "The WOW Factor" More often than not I receive the same varied reply, Well, it needs a flashy intro and some really cool effects and something that is memorable and keeps them coming back; something like 2advanced or Nike, but without the black and maybe more video or sound. I'm not 100% sure what I want, but I'll know it when I see it. At this point the communication has seriously broken down and I encourage the designer to create a mockup page loading and upon completion a Unicorn magically appears on their screen only to leap from the screen into their office. Okay, that was a little sarcastic, but I guarantee it screams "The WOW Factor."
All kidding aside, the problem with "The WOW Factor" statement is that it is broad and undefined. As my ridiculous remarks earlier indicate, "The WOW Factor means different things to different people, and more importantly WOW doesn't guarantee results. Mark Hurst has a great article entitled Customer experience and the wow factor, and in it he points out that Google and Craigslist have no wow factor but are still extremely effective. Instead of asking for "The WOW Factor" ask for the best user experience possible, ask for content that engages the reader and ask for a site that will properly convey your message. The results you get will have you saying "WOW!"
