What makes us actually use a product we 'like'?

Bonjour! I have started writing this newsletter sitting on the beach in the French Riviera (not the whole thing like half of it). I am on my travels and it’s mad that I couldn’t write for months but travelling brings out the writer in me. Travel also creates a lot of perspective and getting away from the tech cult is definitely healthy (though I’m writing about it ha).

For some newbies, or you’re reading this and forgot who I was….

This newsletter was inspired by a conversation that truly put me in my place. I waffle a lot about products in the market that inspire me but I’m not always an adopter and it made me think why? Sometimes, you can build a great product, great tech, sharp design and overall great quality but people might not use it. Why? What makes a product tick? And actually, it’s always more about what makes the logistics and process tick for someone to adopt it? Let’s use this space to dissect it more…

I’ve never actually booked an Airbnb but I think it’s the best marketplace product…

I know I am a fraud. On this South of France trip, I’m staying in an Airbnb, not booked by me. I was really hesitant and always have been that usually I hit Booking.com & book a hotel. For someone who doesn’t shut up about Airbnb because of the site experience, It’s embarrassing that I still haven’t adopted it as a product. Let’s explore why?…

I find hotels safer

It’s weird right, but hotels give me a sense of safety, particularly for solo travel. Even though there are creepy TikToks about hotels, I find a decent hotel tends to be in safer, accessible locations and has security.

I cba cleaning & packing lots of stuff

I always think I need more things for an Airbnb. I want to just live like a slob and leave without worrying too much. I also want fresh towels and things etc.

I want other luxuries

Location is important. Onsite things like pools, gym, a lobby/restaurant, room service is convenient & easy.

So what did I think after my first Airbnb?

I think I got it all wrong. This Airbnb gave me a 5* location for a fraction of the cost. Granted it didn’t have luxuries, but it had everything I needed & super accessible to everything. On my first day, I was nervous and kept thinking about the movie Taken set in France (don’t watch it if you haven’t). But as the days passed, I changed my perception.

Our host was so organised too. It made me think about how hosts/sellers need a logistical process to meet a full double sided experience. Things like stocking the Airbnb with essentials, an instructions sheet of before, during and after & responding to queries. Airbnb had to truly think about this to make the entire thing work. You can’t just build a shiny product & not nail process (which is the boring stuff right?). In fact, you could argue a smooth process & a simple product that works together to create value is what you need to be aiming for.

I always knew Airbnb do a lot on the Trust side of things, but it didn’t convince me enough till I had my own experience. The lesson I would say here is, the domino effect can really help with the adoption of a product. If a core set of users truly love it, they will tell their friends about it. The other lesson is, Airbnb is a great product experience, but the operations, behaviours, fears of a user will make the ultimate decision. You just have to do enough to get that across & make it super easy.

I’ve seen GetYourGuide tours but have always used Viator or see if I can book it on the day…

I have only ever used Viator once to book a Niagara falls tour in Toronto, which was incredible.

While in this super deep, unregulated pool that had no shallow end in our Airbnb, we met a Dutch lady and started to chat about things to do. She was a huge GetYourGuide fan and told me to download the app and book onto great things like snorkelling etc (the power of the domino effect). For some weird reason, I kept feeling like it was some website that went heavy on SEO and is probably a little dodgy. So when it came to tours, I didn’t book any which was prob a mistake.

It stuck with me and while I haven’t downloaded it, I questioned what was stopping me. Why didn’t I adopt this product?. The truth is I didn’t want to commit to something and lose my money in case I changed my mind or we couldn’t go on the day. It felt like the activities would be in abundance in a tourist destination. Like why have you ran out of Kayaks on a public beach? The other is, what if the tour is fake? I know it’s a dumb mindset. Viator feels more real, maybe because I have used it?. Thinking about it, I used Viator because someone told me too. It means I adopt products via word of mouth by people close to me.

Free cancellations & payment on day like Booking.com might have made things better. I use Booking for this feature & don’t even mind paying slightly extra for this luxury.

Have you got a product you’re hesitant of using? Why? Let me know!

Product gems that made me howl…

& what am I up too?…

Well right now, living my best life.

I haven’t done much in the last week but I am in the middle of a coaching accreditation and have been supporting a few individuals with some career & business/product coaching which I am LOVING. As a chatty patty, I can be a real good listener when I want to be. I have loved helping people think about their goals and so excited for where they are going to go next.

Shoutouts…

I want to firstly shoutout Aamna Hussain, a brilliant product person over at Virgin Media/O2 but has also launched her own community for women call the The Confident Woman. Aamna works really hard on bringing women together and empowering them which she is really passionate about. Please join me in supporting her and wish her the best of luck with this new venture.

& that’s all folks. Merci to so many of you who have replied & read and commented. It’s not some huge newsletter but I am grateful and if you think it’s good enough, please share it to someone who might like to subscribe and read or even on your socials ❤️ 

Until next time, Au Revoir….