Why is the First step the most important step

Your guest knows what they want and you know how to get them there. But what if they don’t have a plan, what if they’re at your destination to explore, purchase something and find new stuff. The first step is the most important step they’re going to take in this experience and there are numerous reasons why and multiple ways to make it even better. Let’s get into it.

The importance of the first step-

Not only does the first step create a path to a destination, but that first step can lead them past multiple destinations, advertising, and even attractions. This can increase conversions and alter analytics based on positioning and movement. The first step also gives the user confidence in the wayfinding system they’re using and in the destination, they’re interacting with. By providing the first step you’re helping make a decision and reducing time on the device at your kiosks by close to 50%. Additionally, by integrating with mobile applications you’re bringing the confidence to the user and making that personalization an asset. So what inspires confidence more than having directions straight into your hand? A gigantic arrow pointing you in the right direction that’s what inspires confidence in a wayfinding situation. By having an “Arrow Takeover” on the screen you display a large arrow that uses the information provided to give a point of reference then display a large arrow pointing the user in the right direction so they can begin their journey with the right step. For someone in a new situation and environment, this is great to see and inspires quite a bit of confidence in the system.

How search helps to take advantage of that first step-

There are a few ways to take advantage of this tool and improve upon it. The single most important piece is the search function and its various uses. Over 50% of interaction time at a kiosk is actually searching for a location. One way to speed this up is by using “edge engram” searching. Searching just “Co” will return coffee, for example, letting users speed up interactions while also discovering other potential locations. These locations are displayed along with other suggestions and can even be prioritized based on other criteria such as construction in the way or maybe a security check. Slightly guiding users throughout the process. Once they have made their decision a key factor in guiding them is to actually show them their route and direction for their first step. This physical interaction not only gains trust but also helps users orient themselves around the destination space.

Conclusion-

The first step isn’t just a phrase it’s a physical determination of user choice and interaction. Analytics, conversions, and even confidence can all be gained from making that first step successful. So how are you going about it? Let Oppna Digital help with our industry-leading wayfinding systems and integrations.