Success does not discriminate. Ideas from tiny to large, simple to complex, and seemingly dull to extraordinary, have all become successful at one time or another. Sure, success has its preferences, such as simplicity rather than complexity, but those ideas that became “Game Changers”, those that literally changed something, are all different in every way, shape, and form. In this original article by Business Idears, we look at 4 Ideas that were Game Changers, and we dissect them to see why they were so successful, and apply that to your business. Note that there are countless other game-changing ideas throughout history, but these are the four that we picked to represent our four key aspects of business success that is described within the article.
1. The iPhone
This simple concept, but complex behind the scenes, this idea of a device that can do it all really hit people’s hearts in the right way. It replaced countless objects and machines, and compacted all their uses into a single slab of plastic and electronics. Why is it so popular? Because its simple.
The simplicity and intuitiveness of the iPhone’s design is what made it such a hit. Yeah, sure, its technology is cutting edge, but the iPhone was not the first smartphone to be released, blew Blackberry and other competitors off the charts, and became a sensation. That is because of its sleek, easy to use interface. So that brings us to lesson number one, which is make it simple.
If you cannot explain your idea to a 8 year old and have him/her understand you completely, it’s too complicated.
2. eBay
Ebay completely changed the way the internet was used. Before eBay became the hit virtual marketplace it is today, the internet was primarily used for information-based services. eBay came onto the scene, and changed the game. Why? Well, because it provided a valuable, easy-to-use system for consumers to make money off of. The whole idea here is incentive.
Incentives are what make the world go ’round, and what brings in money for eBay. There’s an incentive to post your product on eBay and you probably guess it: cash. But its not only cash, there’s social recognition, which is just as big apart of eBay as cash is. Social recognition is by far, the biggest incentive on the internet. It’s the reason for all social media’s successes in the past decade and countless other startups. So, lesson number two is to incentivize your business. Make it fun. Create a point system; Dispense points to repeat customers, and set up a reward system for cashing in points, such as a free T-shirt. The possibilities are endless, but the point remains constant: incentives are the key to making money in business.
3. Blogs
Blogs created an emotional connection between users right off the bat. Users post information about their lives, and people comment, follow, and favorite their posts, similar to all the social media sites today. The reason blogging became such a mainstream practice, is because it provokes an emotional response.
Blog create human connections, even though its a virtual one, it still means something. People feel included, liked, and worthy, when their posts are favorited or they get a nice comment from a random person from Idaho or any place for that matter. Even though this flip flops and there can be negative experiences that come with blogging and social media, the idea is still the same: something that feels natural and provokes an emotional response, sells. Period.
When it comes down to it, we’re human. We are living, breathing, animals who are living in a tech-like world. When a product or service brings on a positive emotional reaction or feeling, it almost becomes worth the cost right then and there. It feels natural, and that is the best feeling to have. That brings us to lesson number three which is direct your business in the most natural, human-like direction as possible. That means, become more personal as you greet the customers, make them feel comfortable and at-ease. Or create a secret benefit system, such as if someone buys an item 10 times, they receive a surprise reward, which provokes an emotional response. Or train your customer service team so customers feel more under your wings and all their questions/concerns are addressed. You can go in all sorts of directions with this idea. Keep it natural.
4. Apps
Applications changed the entire mobile market. In fact, it created its own market, and marketplace! The App Store sells 30 Million Apps a day, and there are specific reasons as to why that is. The most important one perhaps, is that apps provide a quick, on-the-go style of living. From entertainment apps to utility apps, they provide a service that is instantaneous. This is the fourth lesson, which is to make your service or product convenient.
Convenience is a necessity in today’s modern world’s markets. People expect convenience, and if a product doesn’t provide it, the consumer looks elsewhere. That’s the reality of it. So, if you are going to compete, you must make convenience one of your top priorities in your product development and company culture. Make it easy for your consumer to find you online and design your website in a way that makes payment easy as 1-2-3. Or perhaps have your business’s number right at the top of the page, so all customers can see it. An example of a company that implemented this is Zappos.com. They made customer-service their top priority, and it payed off. Convenience makes your product, or service more valuable.
These are the four lessons covered in this article that you should apply to your business right away:
1. Make it Simple.
2. Incentivize.
3. Keep it Natural.
4. Conevenience.
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