During the pre-Google days, searching the internet was a tedious and a distracting process. Often one had to go through some of the leading search engines of the time, and since their business models were not centered on providing exclusive search services, the user had to remain focused while navigating through their congested content to make sure they resist the temptation of clicking the various attractively worded links, banners and pop-ups. For those who could not stay focused, a search task would usually end up into clicking links and wander aimlessly through the web or go through content which they never planned to visit in the first place. The end result the user going through irrelevant content and forget their search task.
However, the arrival of the weird sounding search engine ‘Google’ changed all that. Their main page was a simple blank page with prime focus mainly on the search box. Initially the founders of Google were against advertising pop ups and advertising based search engines and as students had written a paper on this subject. But Google needed a revenue model, so they decided to allow simple text ads. They began selling advertisements associated with search keywords and sold them in a unique price bids and clicks model. So even though they compromised in allowing text ads to appear on their page, they still maintained a simple well-structured neat page design. There are many technical reasons for Google’s success, but one of the reason, is that their uncluttered page design maximized their search speed and kept the user focused. Google phenomenal success proves that it if you provide the user exactly what they need, and in doing so minimize their time and effort on a given task, invariably they will come back and eventually develop a trust towards your service.
Fast forward present time, Google knows how to stay relevant and therefore is always on the prowl to acquire companies with cutting edge technologies that will make their users put less effort to complete a given task, hence the acquisition and development of android, a mobile operating system, designed for touch screen mobile devices. For those that are familiar using online banking or shopping services on windows based personal computers not so long ago, will realize that there is a rapid shift by the same companies to switch on to the mobile platform to service their customers through android based apps. Infact many companies have even started incentivizing the switch and some companies are even toying with the idea of giving their services exclusively on mobile platforms slowly rendering the PC obsolete. Imagine the confidence your bank has on the new mobile platform, always prodding you to use their mobile apps to access their services.
Technology is rendering many a processes redundant at a very fast pace. What used to be a cool shopping experience on your personal computer or laptop is slowly shifting onto your mobile devices for the customer on the go. Since touch screen mobile devices are smaller in size, the pressure to accommodate only important content is so vital that companies are doing away with unnecessary fine print that was initially available on traditional websites. At best the fine print is tucked away in some inconsequent menu which the customer can access if needed, but rarely does so.
What does this type of shift signify? Why are companies taking such a huge risk to go minimum on content and maximum on service? Initial figures seem to indicate that the customer is ready to do business on the mobile platform and even though the screens are small in size they are willing to trust companies which deal with less or no fine print at all. In short customers are ready to do businesses that cut the crap and focus more on the product and delivery.
As users aren’t we not doing the same, our communications are getting precise and smaller, our social network posts witty but shorter. Gone are the days when individuals would write long emails and at the end of it fail to communicate the essence of the message. The use of less and less words has come about because the mobile platform has a word limitation and makes it inconvenient to write long content. If business can be done in few words than why can’t rules that govern us be written in minimum words with a strict upper word limit? That way they will be precise, to the point, predictable, almost black and white and easy to figure out even to the common folks.
Problem is we Indians in general and Goans in particular are obsessed with extensive worded administrative rules, rules that are vague in nature, confusing its loyal followers, while allowing the delinquent to go around them. We seem quite savvy in understanding short notifications on mobile phones, but silently accept lengthy and confusing government notifications.
If Prime Minister Modi is wondering why he is losing his appeal among the business community is because his promise before elections was all about ease of doing business which cannot be done without eliminating most of the government processes. Agreed it takes time, but everyday it is becoming clearer that his team’s focus is only on improving the system and not to free it from the overwhelming confusing rules. It is time the Prime Minster surrounds himself with more free thinking people so that they think on the same lines as he talks. Unfortunately his think tank consists of only fine print guys that will allow him to take things forward but in small installments and to a limit. A PMO App might be a good beginning, but if it does not eliminate the various processes the citizens are made to endure, then it becomes just another app to handle for the citizens
Goa being a small state can easily go the App way. For that to happen, it will have to shorten its fine print big time. By doing so, it will eliminate the lazy and corrupt government officials who use the rule book as an excuse to extort or deprive service to the Goans. Of course it will be terrible news for the always intrusive Goan politician and dispossess him of the control they try and yield on the public. Politicians will argue this app business is going to result into massive retrenchment of government employees involved in unnecessary processes. To save them Goans will be forced to live in the outdated pre-Google era, tedious and distracting.
(Plastino D’Costa is a business
consultant)
