Analogies, comparisons, and metaphors are commonplace in everyday language, and they’re essential when you want to explain something new or unfamiliar. When you’re trying to explain a concept or idea to someone, it’s probably best to use examples, because people tend to understand and remember things better when they’re compared to something they’re already familiar with. So when it comes to marketing, comparing yourself to a restaurant might not be the best analogy—especially since they’re not usually associated with good health!—but it’s sometimes the only way to make a point. Think of this blog post as an example of how comparing your product or service to something already established in the market can help you better understand and explain its uniqueness and importance to potential customers. (If you’re curious, you can read more about comparing analogies here.)

The Importance Of Simulating A Real-World Environment

When you’re designing a web or mobile app, there are a few things you need to keep in mind in order to make the experience as close to a real-world one as possible. One of the most important aspects of a B2C product or service is making the user feel comfortable exploring the product or service as they would in the real world; that is, without feeling constrained by technical limitations imposed by the platform (e.g., screen size, connectivity, etc.). In practice, this means you should consider the following:

Responsive Design

With responsive design, your web page or app will automatically resize itself depending on the size of the device being used to access it. Mobile apps designed with responsive design will look the same on any smartphone screen, regardless of whether the display is large or small. This makes it easy for potential customers to explore the app, even if they’re using a smaller device. It also means you don’t have to worry about the layout looking awkward or unusable on a large display, such as a desktop or laptop computer. (You can read more about designing for responsiveness here.)

Realistic Interactions

Users expect intuitive, streamlined, and easy-to-use interfaces in products and services they use on a daily basis; that is, something they’re familiar with and can take for granted. For example, when they use a calculator app on their phone, they expect the answer to be displayed instantly as they type. Or, when they’re using a shopping app and want to make a purchase, they want the button to be intuitive and easy to access, without having to think about which button to push or how the layout of the app’s screen is structured. When designing a product or service with interactions in mind, it’s important to remember that users may not be used to the way in which you’ve designed the interface and could experience frustration if the interaction doesn’t make sense or is difficult to perform. This is why it’s important to test the app or website with as many users as possible and get feedback from those who are using it. (You can read more about interactions here.)

Familiar Footage

For many users, simply being familiar with a brand name or logo can mean that the product or service will perform exactly as they expect it to. A study by HubSpot revealed that 87% of customers would buy a product or service they’re familiar with, even if it’s not the most suitable option for them. So, when you’re designing a B2C product or service, bear in mind that users may feel more comfortable with something they’re familiar with. (You can read more about the power of a brand name here.)

Usability

When users evaluate the usability of a product or service, they look at how intuitive and easy it is to navigate and use. For instance, if you’re using a shopping app to purchase an item and find that the interface is poorly structured and difficult to use, you’ll likely encounter problems such as errors, lack of clarity, and confusing messages, all of which can decrease the usability of the app. When designing a B2C product or service, make sure that the information presented is relevant and easy to understand, and that the design and functionality of the app or website are intuitive and easy to use. (You can read more about usability here.)

Accessibility

Making a product accessible means ensuring that everyone can use it. Specifically, you need to consider the following:

• Accessibility should be built into the product or service itself, from the ground up
• The user should be able to understand and interact with the app or website without any trouble
• The app or website should be available in the most popular platforms
• All software and devices used to access the app or website should be accessible, such as a keyboard, screen reader, etc.

When you’re designing a B2C product or service, remember that everyone—even those with disabilities—can and should be able to use it, so you should put in the extra effort to make sure that they can.