How to Make a Product That’s Hard to Ignore!

You have a great idea for a product. You’ve done your market research, validated your assumptions, and built a prototype. You’re ready to launch it to the world and watch the customers flock to you. But wait. How do you make sure that your product stands out from the crowd and gets the attention it deserves? How do you make a product that’s hard to ignore? In this newsletter, we’ll share some strategies and examples of how to create a product that hooks your customers and keeps them coming back for more.

📌 What is a Good Product?

Before we dive into the strategies, let’s define what a good product is. A good product is not just something that solves a problem or fulfills a need. It’s something that delights your customers and makes them feel good. A good product is also something that creates a habit. A habit is a behavior that is repeated regularly and automatically, without much conscious thought. Habits are powerful because they shape our lives and influence our decisions. 

A habit-forming product has four elements:

• A cue: a trigger that prompts the user to take action
• An action: a simple and easy behavior that the user performs
• A reward: a variable and satisfying outcome that the user receives
• An investment: a bit of work or commitment that the user makes to increase the value of the product

These four elements form a loop that hooks the user and keeps them engaged. Let’s look at some examples of how to apply this framework to make a product that’s hard to ignore.

📌 Strategies to Make a Product That’s Hard to Resist

1.Use emotional cues

Emotions are powerful motivators that can drive us to take action. If you can tap into your customers’ emotions, you can create a strong cue that triggers them to use your product. For example, Facebook uses emotional cues such as notifications, likes, comments, and messages to lure users back to the app. These cues create a sense of curiosity, social validation, and belonging that make users want to check their feed and interact with their friends.

2.Reduce friction

Friction is anything that makes it harder for your customers to use your product. Friction can be physical, mental, or emotional. For example, a long sign-up process, a confusing interface, or a lack of trust can create friction and discourage users from taking action.

To reduce friction, you need to make your product as simple and easy to use as possible. You need to remove any unnecessary steps, options, or distractions that might confuse or overwhelm your customers. For example, Amazon reduces friction by offering one-click ordering, free shipping, and personalized recommendations. These features make it effortless for customers to buy what they want and get it delivered fast. 

3.Provide variable rewards

Rewards are the outcomes that your customers receive from using your product. Rewards can be functional, social, or emotional. For example, a functional reward is getting a task done, a social reward is getting feedback or recognition, and an emotional reward is feeling happy or relieved.

To make your rewards more enticing, you need to make them variable. Variable rewards are unpredictable and surprising, which creates a sense of curiosity and excitement. Variable rewards also trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel good and motivates us to seek more rewards. For example, Netflix provides variable rewards by offering a vast and diverse catalog of movies and shows that cater to different tastes and moods. Netflix also uses algorithms to suggest new and relevant content that users might like. These features create a sense of discovery and anticipation that keep users hooked.

4.Ask for investment

Investment is the effort or commitment that your customers make to increase the value of your product. Investment can be in the form of time, money, data, or social capital. For example, a customer might invest by creating a profile, uploading content, inviting friends, or giving feedback.

Investment is important because it creates a sense of ownership and loyalty. It also increases the likelihood of repeat usage, as customers want to get the most out of their investment. Furthermore, investment can create a positive feedback loop, as the more customers invest, the more rewards they receive, and the more they want to invest. For example, Spotify asks for investment by encouraging users to create playlists, follow artists, and share music. These actions make the product more personalized and enjoyable for users. They also create a network effect, as users can discover and influence each other’s music tastes.

📌 Mistakes to Avoid 

While these strategies can help you make a product that’s hard to ignore, there are also some common mistakes that you should avoid. Here are some of them:

1️⃣ Building a product that nobody wants or needs. No matter how well you design your product, if it doesn’t solve a real problem or fulfill a real need, it won’t succeed. 

✅ You need to validate your product idea with your target market and get feedback from your potential customers before you launch.

2️⃣ Building a product that is too complicated or confusing. If your product is too hard to understand or use, it will create frustration and dissatisfaction for your customers. 

✅ You need to simplify your product and focus on the core features and benefits that your customers care about. 

3️⃣ Building a product that is too similar or inferior to your competitors. If your product doesn’t offer anything unique or valuable that sets it apart from your competitors, it will be ignored or forgotten. 

✅ You need to differentiate your product and communicate your value proposition clearly and convincingly.

4️⃣ Building a product that is unethical or harmful. If your product exploits your customers’ vulnerabilities or causes negative consequences for them or others, it will damage your reputation and trust. 

✅ You need to design your product with ethics and responsibility in mind and respect your customers’ privacy and well-being.

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Conclusion

Making a product that’s hard to ignore is not easy, but it’s not impossible either. By applying the strategies and avoiding the mistakes we discussed in this article, you can create a product that hooks your customers and makes them loyal and happy. Remember, a good product is not just something that solves a problem or fulfills a need. It’s something that delights your customers and makes them feel good. It’s something that creates a habit and becomes a part of their lives. If you can make a product that’s hard to ignore, you can make a product that’s hard to forget.