Using consistency to design for trust and loyalty
Let’s dive into a world beyond apps or digital products to decode consistency, trust, and loyalty.
Have you been to McDonald or KFC?
Multiple times?
Different branches?
Answer to all 3 questions is YES?
Did the same dish taste the same everywhere?
Now an open-ended question for you …“What if it tasted different at 3 different branches you visited last month?”. Now pause. Think. Return to this article after 1 min.
When I asked myself this question, my mind said,
My expectation will be low whether I visit the same branch or a 4th branch. I’ll enter the outlet and order something with my fingers crossed.
I’ll be skeptical of choosing McDonald or KFC for mini-celebration or hangout. I don’t want a spoiler. After my 1st bite, I don’t want to say … we should have gone somewhere else.
When the same thing tastes the same at different places it inspires consumer confidence in the brand. They know what to expect from the same outlet or a new outlet in some other region. They are confident that the decision on where to eat made based on past experience won’t disappoint them. No need to cross finger. Just enter the outlet imagining being served with finger-licking food… :).
In short, a consistent experience sows a seed of trust and paves the path for a loyal customer base.
That said, now you must be wondering how this applies to design?
Imagine,
UI components as food items,
Different screens or products as branches.
Same UI behaving differently at different touchpoints will increase usability errors. Errors due to inconsistency will lead the user to a belief that they cannot rely on their past experience to take the right action. The lack of predictability with respect to flows and interaction sows a seed of distrust.
If as a business, you enjoy a monopoly in the market, the user will use your app anyway with fingers crossed. But if yours is a competitive space, the probability of users dropping-off is high.
For some businesses, the value proposition sits at the core of the trust factor eg fintech, healthcare etc. To them, I would recommend treating consistency as a strategic component in sowing the seeds of trust and loyalty.
