Behind the Click: Merging Psychology with Digital Optimization with Jon MacDonald

“There are so many factors that really affect conversion that start before a customer even begins to think about purchasing from a brand. Every element of a brand's website tells the consumer something about what you do and impacts if the consumer buys from you.”

Jon MacDonald, founder of The Good and author of Behind the Click

In this episode of Product Chats, Jon MacDonald, founder of The Good and author of "Behind the Click," shares invaluable insights into the intersection of psychological principles and digital optimization.

With a rich history of improving online brand experiences for giants like Adobe and Nike, MacDonald emphasizes the significance of understanding user psychology in design and product development. He argues for the removal of negative experiences from the internet (which keeps him busy), advocating for a holistic approach to customer experience that begins well before purchase.

Through a mix of qualitative research and quantitative data analysis, including heat maps and eye tracking, MacDonald reveals how design heuristics, when grounded in psychological understanding, can significantly improve site usability, onboarding, and retention.

The episode not only unpacks the tension between design and product teams but also offers strategies for alignment and empathy towards user goals and challenges.Key Takeaways:

Common Problems Between Product and Design: Tensions between designers and product teams often arise from unclear roles and a lack of understanding about each other's decisions, making teamwork difficult. To improve this, align both teams on user and customer goals to improve collaboration. Additionally, bringing in a third party for an unbiased view can help solve misunderstandings and bring teams closer.

Psychological Principles Behind Consumer Decisions: The discussion highlights how psychological concepts, like "heuristics," impact how consumers make quick decisions online. Jon stresses the importance of first impressions in digital spaces, noting that a bad initial experience can harm a brand's image long-term. Additionally, he mentions that consumers favor straightforward and concise information, suggesting the use of bullet points for clarity. Understanding these principles is crucial for creating intuitive and appealing digital experiences for users.

How to Improve User Experience: Jon outlines steps to improve user experience, focusing on consumer research. He suggests monitoring user interactions on websites, conducting tests, and direct conversations to grasp consumer choices. He introduces the "coffee shop test," where a random person's feedback on an app or website is sought for intuitive understanding. Jon emphasizes ongoing optimization and regular engagement with users for external insights. The aim is to streamline the decision-making process for consumers by removing hurdles.ABOUT OUR GUEST:Jon MacDonald is the founder of The Good, a leading digital experience optimization firm known for achieving excellent results for some of the largest online brands, including Adobe, Nike, Xerox, and The Economist.

His expertise lies in understanding consumer behaviors and preferences and leveraging this understanding to optimize digital experiences. Apart from being a seasoned entrepreneur, Jon is also an accomplished author, with three books on optimization under his belt. His latest book, "Behind the Click", provides further insights into his approach to digital experience optimization.

Listeners can get free access to the first chapter of his book here.

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