Revamping old-school apps & websites boosts performance by 4-5x: Bombay DC’s Ankur Rander

New Delhi: How do brands view websites? While some view them as a two-way communication product where users go for a very specific query, others see them as just spaces for updates. But websites can do so much more than just being another communication channel.

Unlike social media ads where the brand message reaches the customer, when it comes to a website, it’s the user who is reaching out to the brand looking to interact with it. Shouldn’t brands make the best use of this opportunity? In an ideal world yes but in reality you will find hundreds of products crunched into a small space because someone just wanted to build a website instead of communicating with the user.

According to a McKinsey & Company study on 300 publicly listed companies over five years, it was found that there is a strong correlation between high MDI (McKinsey Design Index) scores and superior business performance. 

McKinsey did a global study but let’s talk about India here. As the country records a digital boom, the importance of websites is growing day by day. Yet multiple users find themselves “spending 15-20 minutes on average to find a single form on a banking website.”

So, good website design matters.

Providing a rationale for this argument, Ankur Rander, CEO of Bombay Design Centre, said, “When we revamp an old-school app or website, we see a significant improvement in outcomes, often by 4x to 5x on the first launch. With iterative updates, we can further enhance performance by another 25%. 

Whether the app or website generates leads or sales, we typically see a 25% to 30% increase in results immediately. Additionally, retention rates improve because many products and apps are currently outdated, or as I like to say, in the "dinosaur stage." While some have made progress, most are still lagging.”

In an interview with BestMediaInfo.com, Rander broke down all the areas where brands go wrong with their websites and how to fix them.

Product managers and marketers, listen in. When it comes to websites, there are a lot of elements you miss out on, resulting in less traffic on your websites.

Findability

Has it ever happened to you that you went on a website to look for something very specific but you ended up searching on Google about where to find that particular item?

This issue is called ‘findability’.

Sharing his thoughts on the subject, Rander said, “Brands need to understand that a website is not a garden where people come to take a stroll. Visitors come with a specific purpose or task in mind. 

If the website's information display and architecture are poorly designed, users can't find what they're looking for. When users have a clear intent but the website fails to meet their needs, they will leave within seconds. Therefore, findability is a significant issue that needs to be addressed.”

Citing the example of banking websites, Rander said, “During tax season, imagine your accountant asks for your tax certificate. You visit your bank's website, but it takes you 15 to 30 minutes, a customer care call, or a Google search to find it. Why? 

Because the bank prioritises other information, and the tax certificate is buried under some navigation drawer or labelled differently. It might be under "Service" or "Account," making it hard to locate. Given it's tax season, why not place the tax certificate upfront for those two months? This simple change would greatly improve the user experience.”

Cognitive load

Have you opened a food delivery platform and found yourself struggling to choose what to order for 15 minutes because of the sheer number of options to choose from? This neurological inconsistency is called ‘cognitive overload’. In other words, your brain can only process a certain number of objects in one go; seeing too many options at once leads to you not being able to make the choice.

Well, it’s not just an issue with food delivery platforms. It’s also websites.

Giving his take on the issue, Rander said, “When you scroll through a page and see a best seller, a recommended product, a recently bought product, and a newly launched product all at once, it's overwhelming. This happens because business people and product managers think that by putting everything out there, users will click on something. However, it's like trying to catch three balls at the same time—you can't. That's how our mind and body work.

Another issue is language. When I interview CEOs and MDs of large businesses, whether B2B or B2C, one of the biggest things they ask is, ‘Can you please explain what we do?’ Even companies that have been around for 50 years struggle with this. They often say, ‘People don't understand what we do because it's too complicated.’ Simplifying the message is crucial for better user understanding.”  

Brands! Keep this in mind: “If the website does not load in 10 seconds, you will lose 100% of your customers until it’s a passenger boarding pass,” said Rander.

Where do legacy brands go wrong?

Legacy brands’ websites have their coffers flowing with money, providing them access to the best UI/UX designers in the world yet their websites turn out to be eye sores. Why?

Rander has an answer to the query. “The lack of representation in management is a significant issue. Marketing leaders, often likened to dinosaurs, excel in certain areas but not necessarily in design. These businesses are typically run by business, sales, operations, and management professionals, which is part of the problem. 

Another issue is that brands treat their digital presence as a side function, leaving IT and marketing to figure out the website. The internet has levelled the playing field, giving both luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and budget brands like Lakhani Champal the same online real estate. Unlike outdoor advertising, where bigger brands can afford better placements, a website's quality isn't determined by cost. Improving a website doesn't have to be expensive, but it requires thoughtful design and user experience.”

Shady app designs

According to a report by the Advertising Standards Council of India, 52 out of the 53 analysed apps employed deceptive design practices. “It is important to note that the widespread use of dark patterns can impact user autonomy and informed decision-making,” the report quoted.

Explaining it for the readers Rander said, “Basket sneaking is a common issue where additional products are added to your cart without notice. This happened with Swiggy Instamart, where previous orders remained in the cart, leading to unintended purchases. This practice causes disputes when customers find items they didn't intend to order.

False urgency is another tactic where brands create a sense of scarcity, like showing "only three seats left" when more are available. This misleading strategy pressures consumers into quick decisions. Brands might argue it's the consumer's fault for not reading the fine print, but it's essentially taking advantage of them.”

But what is the impact of these dark patterns?

Staging how these deceptive design patterns impact customers, Rander said, “What happens when someone breaks your trust? What happens when someone cheats on you? Be it relationships or brands, people learn to be more careful when someone fools them.”

Making digital products inclusive

India has a population of more than 1.4 billion, where only 10% of the population speaks English. Still, most apps in India offer English as a default language. Imagine the number of customers brands could target if they just went regional.

“By default, most apps and websites use English as the primary language. However, some products and platforms have started incorporating regional languages. While there are scripts that can auto-translate, they often don't translate accurately, making it an additional expense. As a result, many businesses choose to overlook these users. However, by incorporating regional languages, businesses can attract a broader audience and make their websites or apps more accessible, thereby significantly expanding their customer base,” said Rander, weighing on the issue of languages.

Elaborating further on how voice commands to use apps are growing massively in India, Rander said, “Voice interaction is becoming increasingly popular for apps. For example, in a project to digitise a small village near Bombay called Kambale, we found that people primarily use YouTube and WhatsApp. They interact with these platforms through voice commands, either by saying what they want to watch on YouTube or by sending and receiving voice messages on WhatsApp.

This shows the need to make websites more usable and accessible by understanding such user behaviours. Additionally, cultural and regional contexts play a crucial role. For instance, a fish might be known by different names in various regions. If you're selling it on an e-commerce platform, you should personalise the experience by asking users about their region. This way, the product names can be adjusted accordingly, making it easier for users to find what they're looking for.”

Personalisation is the future

Personalisation is the future and we all know it but how can brands bring personalisation through websites? 

Offering his perspective on personalisation, Rander said, “To achieve true personalisation, it's essential to know who the user is. In any app or website, users can browse without logging in or after logging in. Without logging in, only certain behaviours can be tracked through cookies, like the items viewed during a previous visit. This allows for guesses, such as showing red T-shirts again if they were viewed before, but it's not true personalisation. 

When users log in, their history can be tracked, like previous purchases, enabling more tailored recommendations. However, true personalisation will come with AI, which can generate new recommendations by combining old data points and utilising long-term memory. For example, if a user called customer care about extra charges on a credit card and inquired about travel benefits, AI can remember this and provide relevant recommendations when the user later searches for credit cards on the banking app.”

Being ‘user-centric’: A learning lesson

Food delivery apps in India, especially Swiggy and Zomato, have come so far that they are now launching their own IPOs. Both apps rely on their apps heavily as it’s their bread and butter, making them better with each day.

So, what can other brands learn from them?

“It's crucial for anyone running a digital product to consider everything a user experiences on their app or website. This user-centric approach involves thinking about all the steps a user goes through, which leads to better features and functionalities. True user-centricity is a continuous process, not a one-time effort. Continuous iteration is essential, as seen with digital products like Swiggy and Zomato, which constantly evolve based on user data. 

Unlike treating a website like a furniture that gets occasional upgrades, a digital product requires ongoing improvements informed by user behaviour and feedback. This iterative process allows businesses to gather valuable data and continuously enhance the user experience. Most businesses, however, treat their digital products as static components, updating them infrequently. To stay ahead, it's important to embrace continuous iteration and leverage data to make informed decisions that improve the product over time,” Rander concluded.