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The Data From 70k Customers Reveals the Impact of Design

On this episode of the ProfitWell Report, we answer the simple yet widely debated question: How does design impact willingness to pay and growth?

This episode might reference ProfitWell and ProfitWell Recur, which following the acquisition by Paddle is now Paddle Studios. Some information may be out of date.

Originally published: February 27, 2019

Design has become a qualitative non-negotiable. If you don’t have good design, prospects tend to distrust the value of your product and ultimately customers may be wooed away from a better designed product.

At least that’s what you tend to hear devoid of any actual data, so to answer this question we gathered data from over seventy thousand customers and nearly three thousand companies. Here’s what we found.

But first, if you like this kind of content and want to learn more, subscribe to get in the know when we release new episodes.

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First up, to get a direct answer out of the way, great design definitely boosts willingness to pay.

We coded respondents perception of a company’s web and product design before measuring their willingness to pay. Those customers and prospects who perceived a company’s design positively had between an 18% and 41% higher willingness to pay than the median. Those on the negative perception side had 4 to 11% lower willingness to pay.

Great Design Drives Higher Willingness to Pay

What’s fascinating about these results is that this indicates that great design is a value added feature or aspect of the experience. Bad design doesn’t necessarily take much away from the value perception of a product. In other words, design drives higher value, but doesn’t detract from value.

So should you not worry about your poorly designed experience?

Well, not exactly, because when we look at retention, what you’ll see is that those individuals with a positive perception of the company’s design have roughly 8% to 12% better net retention than those who were neutral or had a negative perception.

Net Retention Relative to Design Perception

More research needs to be done here in particular, because like most things happening in the subscription market, the need for great and relevant design is becoming more and more important as a differentiator.

Yet, as the data suggests, if you don’t have the rest of your house in order, great design probably isn’t going to save you.

Want to learn more? Check out our recent episode on how Solid Customer Onboarding Drives Higher Retention and Willingness to Pay and subscribe to the show to get new episodes.

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You've got the questions,

and we have the data.

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This is the ProfitWell Report.

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A quick question.

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How does design impact

willingness to pay and growth?

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Welcome back, everyone.

Neil here from ProfitWell.

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Design has become a

qualitative non negotiable.

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If you don't have good design,

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prospects tend to distrust the value

of your product, and ultimately,

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customers may be wooed away

from a better designed product.

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At least that's what

you tend to hear,

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devoid of any actual data.

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So to answer this question,

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we looked at the data from over

seventy thousand customers and

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nearly three thousand companies.

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Here's what we found.

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First, to get the direct

answer out of the way,

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great design definitely

boosts willingness to pay.

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We coded respondents'

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perceptions of a company's

web and product design before

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measuring their

willingness to pay.

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The customers and prospects who

perceived a company's design

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positively had between an

eighteen and forty one percent

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higher willingness to

pay than the median.

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Those on the negative

perception had four to eleven

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percent lower

willingness to pay.

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Now what's fascinating about

these results is that this

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indicates that great design is

a value added feature or aspect

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of the experience.

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Bad design doesn't necessarily

take much away from the value

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perception of the product.

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In other words, design

drives higher value,

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but doesn't detract from value.

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So should you not worry about

your crappy design experience?

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Well, not exactly.

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Because when we

look at retention,

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what you'll see is that those

individuals with a positive

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perception of a company's

design has roughly eight to

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twelve percent better net

retention than those who are

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neutral or had a

negative perception.

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More research needs to be done

here in particular because like

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most things happening in

the subscription economy,

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the need for great and relevant

design is becoming more and

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more important as

a differentiator.

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Yet, as the data suggests,

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if you don't have the rest

of your house in in order,

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great design probably

isn't gonna save you.

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Well, that's all for now.

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If you have a question,

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send me an email or video

to neil at profit well dot com.

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If you got value here or any

other week of the report,

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we appreciate any and all

shares on Twitter and LinkedIn

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because this is how we

know to keep doing these.

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I'll see you next week.

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This week's episode is

brought to you by Vendasta.

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Vendasta's white label platform

empowers you to provide

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marketing solutions to local

businesses under your brand.

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Vendasta dot com.