Happy Summer and Happy Belated Father’s Day!
What did you do to celebrate with your dad?
My husband and his dad used to go out in a boat in Long Island Sound and go fishing near the shore on days like this. As a little boy, it was effortless for my husband to catch flounder. My father-in-law, Craig said he’d just drop a line and pull one up. At day’s end, they’d bring the fish to Farmor’s house (my husband’s grandma), who cleaned and ate them.
I also went fishing with my family; these days were special to me. Despite the hot sun and long days, spending a day on the boat was still fun.
With that said, this summer, I’m very much interested in taking our kids fishing, too but on a charter boat.
My kids aren’t experienced with fishing, so as I search through the charter options online, I’ve found a directory, rather than a website, to be very helpful.
Wouldn’t you know that directories with search capabilities like this (Amazon too, if you’re not into fishing!) are signature systems?
How?
What are Signature systems?
Signature systems are designed to streamline the customer’s/searcher’s experience. I can sort for kid-friendly trips, boats with bathrooms, charters that will clean and package the fish for us, etc.
I can choose from the top five charters in Connecticut that meet my needs right on the front page. And, their numbers are all right there, down the page, so I can easily and quickly call them. There are even links to their website, so I can learn more and email links to quickly reach out.
I know, directories have been around forever!
But you have to admit, this service of compiling different options and creating a search-friendly site is a great system.
It’s great because it has taken into consideration a need. Nobody wants to spend a lot of time searching around for different sites or jotting down names and contact numbers on the side. We want it easy!
And when a signature system makes the process easy for a customer, it guarantees they will come back year after year. This is great for their advertising, SEO, Google Rankings, word of mouth, and reliability for directories.
Now, I ask that you think about how you can create a system for your customers. Make sure you consider how to streamline their experience for you and make it thoughtful and memorable. If you’re not sure, that’s OK! I know it’s hard to think outside of the box.
Feel free to interview some of your favorite clients, ask them what they love, and start creating a signature system from there.
