3 steps to create a customer-focused user experience

Creating a customer-centric website does not have to be rocket science. In fact, it's rather easy (sorry user experience industry!). Just follow these three easy steps and you'll be on your way to having customers as raving fans.

1. Assume you know nothing
Ignore what you think your customer wants, including your own preconceived notions and your biases. Rather, base your assumptions on something a bit more concrete such as your customer's own words (see below).

2. Ask questions. A lot of them.
Remember when you had the curiosity of a child, incessantly asking questions about why things were? Well, ok, perhaps that can be annoying, but there is a lesson to be learned -- when you ask questions people are usually willing to answer them. If you want to know how to make your site customer-centric, ask your customers questions. Everyone has an opinion. Consider questions such as:

• What do you want to see on the website?
• How do you want to see it?
• What are your concerns around this topic?
• How can we solve them?
• What will bring you back to the website?
• What information do you need in order to buy or try a product?

And viola! you are on your way to a customer-focused website. Besides, the worse thing that can happen is that the customer doesn't respond. But even then you gain the benefit of the customer's satisfaction that you took the time to ask their opinion

3. Act now.
Once you gather the information, act on it. Don't place it into a to-do or get stuck in analysis paralysis. Act now and do so frequently. Even if it doesn't execute perfectly, again your customers will normally appreciate the effort.