Author page: Kim Vallee

Tips for Designing More Meaningful Customer Satisfaction Surveys

aim for actionable results

Last week, as I grabbed my latte at a new Starbucks that opened in my neighbourhood, the cashier and the barista pointed out to me the customer satisfaction survey about the new store. They told me that it should take 5 minutes and that my reward would be a code for a free drink. It sounds fair.

It wasn’t my first time at that particular store. I basically have nothing to say against my experience there. In fact, I enjoyed the place. But they lost me when they insisted that I gave them a 5 because everything lower than a 5  was worthless because it is considered as zero by Starbucks’ headquarters. Sorry guys, but I don’t fill customer surveys that only aim to be a pat on the back.

Five Rules for Improving the Customer Experience in Web sites

ux design :: user experience

I started working in the software development industry 24 years ago. It didn’t take me long to realize why many tech projects fail. We made progress since then. But the sad thing is, that 24 years later, I see too many digital projects that are not as successful as they should be.

Web development is more complex than ever. Current technology seems to make coding easier but the real challenges in Web development come from what you do with the technology. Your Web site must provide value to capture people’s attention.

Building a Web site involves more than proper HTML/CSS coding and creating a good-looking design. Nowadays, a Web site is part of an ecosystem fuelled by social media. It is part of an even growing digital marketing universe. Visitors use different devices to access it. People have higher expectations of what your site should do, less patience and more choices to choose from. The list can go on. With so many possibilities and interconnections, it is easy to lose focus and to forget the things that would bring success to your digital business.

Scheduling Your Time Off Makes You More Productive

yellow flowers

I got back from vacation last week. With summer vacation being in full bloom, it seems natural to talk about work life balance. My advice to entrepreneurs is to schedule your time off. This advice goes further than your vacation. It includes your daily life. If you had a peek at my calendar, you would notice a mix of personal and business activities. By doing so, I keep my stress level down since everything fits together.

The funny thing is that I learned that lesson not through my years as a businesswoman but when I was a fully-time blogger.