What makes a “Wow” product?

In my opinion, there’s a difference between having a product with a good customer experience and one that delivers a “wow” experience. A “wow” experience is hard to come by. (As is a good customer experience if you don’t take the proper precautions during a product’s development, but that’s for another post…)

In order for a product to have a “wow” factor it has to meet a core value of it’s user. The number of “wow” products in my life are few and far between. They are:

1. The iRobot Roomba Vacuum—I adore this product because it gives me a clean home without me needing to do a thing. All I have to do is push “start” and Roomba does the rest. I save time and have a chore that I loathe done for me. This is of high value to me.

2. The Apple iPhone—I don’t love the iPhone for its sexiness. I love it for its functionality. I wasn’t a Blackberry user prior to the iPhone, so I never knew what it was like to have email on the go. Now I do and I love this feature. But, even more than that, I like the other things that the iPhone affords me, from checking out movie trailers while selecting a video to watch for the night to catching up on my blog reading when I have a spare moment.

I get to do these tasks that before I never engaged in because I had to use my computer to access this content. My computer is my tool for work. Sitting in front on it any more than I already do in one day isn’t fun. The iPhone changes that. The device itself isn’t plagued with the connotation of “work.” Getting to partake in the content that the iPhone affords me without having to “work” simultaneously is of high value to me.

3. Gootodo-—This is a productivity tool. I absolutely adore it because it allows me to manage all the “to dos” I have, but gives the list to me in small parts so I don’t freak out on a daily basis about the mass of “to dos” that have for the next month, for instance. Also, it seamlessly integrates with email, so I don’t feel like I’m doing double work to keep myself organized. The values this products responds to are time and organization for me.

Because each of these products responds to a core value of mine, they’ve been rewarded with the benefits of viral marketing. I rave to lots of people about how much I love them. To date, I can tell you with certainty that my recommendation has led to the sales of three roombas, two iPhones and two Gootodo accounts. In short, it pays to develop “wow” products, but to develop them isn’t easy. You really need to know who you’re developing for from the get go.

So, I’m curious, what kind of “wow” products do you have in your life?

Categories: Customer experience, Design, Marketing