There exists an ever-deepening problem in our world:\u00a0 the fact that systems evolve to grow more complex over time.\u00a0 When a majority try to do or say too much, you have an opportunity:\u00a0 be the most clear and concise option.<\/p>\n
More features, more selling points, more options \u2013 none of these can defeat a competitor that does the best with the essentials, has a simple formula and drives it home consistently.<\/p>\n
Learn the art of holding back and focusing on what matters and you will be the favored option time and time again.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s look at a few common problem areas of bloat where the solution is to simplify:<\/p>\n
Problem:<\/strong>\u00a0Bloggers load up their sidebars with widgets, banners, RSS feeds and other superfluous content which clutters the screen.<\/p>\n Solution:\u00a0<\/strong>The absolute only things that should live on your blog are the essential items you want users to see\/click\/interact with.\u00a0 Instead of that massive blogroll which just takes up space and those countless badges of blog networks you belong to, why not purely have the actions that you\u2019d actually be jazzed to see users take?\u00a0 Organize all the extra stuff on separate pages in logical clusters.\u00a0 Clutter ensures visitors focus on nothing.\u00a0 Simplicity makes everything stand out.\u00a0 Subscription and popular content above the fold ensures highest possible conversions.<\/p>\n Problem:\u00a0<\/strong>PR pros creating lengthy media pitches and press releases full of fluff.<\/p>\n Solution:\u00a0<\/strong>Members of the media, across all platforms, are some of the busiest people on the planet.\u00a0 Make their lives easier, give them your messages in the simplest version possible.\u00a0 There\u2019s no such thing as too short of a pitch.\u00a0 If they are interested they\u2019ll come back to you for more.\u00a0 Add links to get more information, put your content right in the message (don\u2019t use attachments), be honest and descriptive in your subject line.\u00a0 As for press releases, they should be documents with the highest possible signal and the least amount of noise.\u00a0 Relentlessly edit the fluff \u2013 don\u2019t kid yourself, look at things through an objective lens.<\/p>\n Problem<\/strong>:\u00a0 Marketers create complex promotions or campaigns and bury a great idea in layers of information, facts or steps.<\/p>\n Solution:\u00a0<\/strong>All of your marketing needs to pass the elevator test \u2013 not to the whole world, but to a niche. The\u00a0beta test\u00a0worked so well because I targeted a niche with messages that were simple to a specific group.\u00a0 Many didn\u2019t understand it, but that didn\u2019t matter \u2013 my target niche got it instantly.\u00a0 Other ideas I\u2019ve implemented have been similar.\u00a0 People organize by interests and passions far closer than merely by age demographic or socioeconomic factors.\u00a0 Play to simple and smart ideas that niche groups will latch on to and your users will actively share your idea with each other.\u00a0 Target everyone and you target no one.<\/p>\n Problem:<\/strong>\u00a0Businesses build bloated, disorganized websites.<\/p>\n Solution:\u00a0<\/strong>This problem usually stems from people developing sites without knowing the specific action they want site visitors to take.\u00a0 Define that first, and build a site with the aim of accomplishing purely that action.\u00a0 The real challenge of web design is\u00a0using less.<\/p>\n Problem:<\/strong>\u00a0Cell phone and electronics manufacturers creating devices which suffer from\u00a0feature creep.<\/p>\n Solution:<\/strong>\u00a0Yes, Apple created the ultimate convergence device \u2013 why did they succeed where everyone else failed?\u00a0 Simple \u2013 the device was uncomplicated and works fantastic with basic features.\u00a0 The device is a platform that scales to do more if you need it to with apps, but it does great with the necessities and starts uncomplicated.\u00a0 Elegance and simplicity in consumer communication devices was missing from the puzzle and Apple filled that niche perfectly.\u00a0 Most competitors still make the same mistakes they\u2019ve been making forever.\u00a0 Feature creep is applicable to everything from consumer electronics to product packaging.<\/p>\n Problem:<\/strong>\u00a0Bloated\/complex PowerPoint presentations that try to say everything but actually say nothing.<\/p>\n Solution:<\/strong>\u00a0There is no such thing as a PowerPoint that is too simple, and less is always more.\u00a0 People should be focusing on what you are saying, your slides should merely act to reinforce your words.\u00a0 At no point should people have to struggle to read your slides.\u00a0\u00a0This presentation\u00a0and\u00a0this book\u00a0will help you.<\/p>\n Problem:<\/strong>\u00a0The blogosphere was becoming an ever more complex ecosystem.<\/p>\n Solution:<\/strong>\u00a0Evan Williams, creator of Blogger, an incredibly simple service in and of itself, saw how successful it was and took it a step simpler to create Twitter.\u00a0 His ideas kept getting simpler, yet more refined and elegant over time \u2013 not the other way around, and for it he\u2019s become even more successful.\u00a0 Again, like the iPhone, Twitter is actually a platform that starts simple but can scale to do much more through it\u2019s API.\u00a0 In both cases, users are the ones free to create complexity in directions they see fit suiting their personal needs.<\/p>\n Problem:<\/strong>\u00a0A corporation with too many management layers and inefficiencies in bringing ideas to life.<\/p>\n Solution:\u00a0<\/strong>Remove the bloat,\u00a0destroy the artificial barriers, reorganize to compete in the modern world.\u00a0 Most businesses were not designed to work with social communications technologies due to superfluous layers of complexity.\u00a0 If you\u2019re at a company and jealous of what nimble competitors are able to do at using the web to their advantage, it\u2019s time to seriously reconsider your system.\u00a0 If companies like IBM\u00a0can reorganize\u00a0for this, anyone can.<\/p>\n Complexity is standard and expected.\u00a0 Simplicity is elegant and a pleasant surprise.\u00a0 Align your business, your blog, your methods with simplicity and you\u2019ll always win against those who can\u2019t focus their message and purpose.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There exists an ever-deepening problem in our world:\u00a0 the fact that systems evolve to grow more complex over time.\u00a0 When … <\/p>\n