Heads up to product developers and info marketers…
May 14th, 2008 Posted in GeneralJust saw a post on the Warrior Forum that made me realize how “New and Improved” is usually way overrated, especially when it comes to useability and interface issues.
The story goes like this… Someone bought a product online, and after purchasing it, realized it was delivered in RAR format. RAR is an obscure compression process that consumers don’t understand, and generally haven’t heard of. RAR requires special software that must be downloaded in addition to the product itself just to open the dang thing.
This guy, smart as he was, couldn’t figure out how to open his recently purchased ebook, and was getting frustrated to the point of wanting to ask for a refund. He had tried various solutions on Google, and none of them worked.
Heads up to product developers and info marketers… Don’t confuse your customers with new and improved download delivery solutions.
** Use universal delivery options for video, audio, and text like Flash, PDF, and MP3.
** Don’t make your customers download additional software just to read your files.
** If you must compress, use WinZip, not an obscure format like RAR. Winzip is easy to use and is built in to most operating systems.
The idea is to use LCD (Least Common Denominator) software, programming, and interface solutions people are familiar with and comfortable using.
One Response to “Heads up to product developers and info marketers…”
By AffPortal on Aug 11, 2009
Hi Jonathan, good post man. As a programmer I can appreciate designing for the LCD.
I just came across your blog after looking at my recent subscriptions and saw your name in there today. I’m looking forward to reading your previous posts so I can catch up.
I subscribed to your email feed… Corey