February 19th, 2007 - Remote Testing, Global Audience
I chat with colleagues in Canada via Skype in the morning. During the day (daytime hours in Australia that is) I spend time dealing with Australian companies remotely and in-person, as well as contractors in Europe and Asia via email and phone. Also, I have the occasional late night WebEx coference to attend with clients in the US and Canada. Is it just me or has the world gotten smaller?
This is a thing of beauty for companies with a wide geographic reach. Technology allows them access to customers that were previously out of practical range. The insight gained from this contact can lead to better products and better ROI.
Australia is uniquely isolated from the world, but even in the US we’ve seen tremendous value from remote access to customers. Our usability tests of software products, conducted with web conferencing and webcams, provide access to all the corners of the US. This includes smaller markets where, because of the low concentration of customers, it simply doesn’t make sense to visit in person. Yet here is that power-user in Alabama, sitting at his everyday desk and using his regular keyboard shortcuts, showing us how he uses the software, his pet peeves, the features he loves. All the while the product management team, logged in from their desks in Boston and London, are scribbling notes furiously.
These remote interaction design assessments have several benefits including reduced cost, unlimited geographic range, and convenient audio, video and screen activity recording.
But the benefits of having remote access to customers goes well beyond usability tests. Persona research could be conducted in this manner, dramatically reducing travel costs for the type of research global companies need. Similarly, qualitative research that relies on interviews could also be conducted in this manner.
There is so much to be learned from the customer. So many simple things that are hidden beneath our noses because we’re too involved in everything but end-user activities. Cost has been a convenient obstacle preventing companies from going afield to learn from users in different parts of the world. But today, valuable customer insight is incredibly affordable. As the battle for differentiation continues, those who are closest to the wants and needs of their target market will be in the best position to deliver an unparalleled customer experience.
June 5th, 2008 at 11:26 am
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article , but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.