Why Simplicity Is the Key to a Great Customer Experience

The science behind why brands with the simplest CX are the most successful

Photo: Dong Wenjie/Getty Images

“In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

In my marketing career, there’s one thing I’ve learned: There’s very rarely a silver bullet in business. Success comes from a combination of factors. Operations, marketing, customer service, order fulfillment, brand, and market conditions all contribute to the bottom line.

But there’s one thing that the most-loved customer experiences all seem to share — simplicity.

Simplicity in experience makes a proven impact

The Simplicity Index, created by Siegel+Gale, is a yearly ranking of brands with the least complicated experiences. The consultancy’s research has drawn some compelling conclusions about the impact of distilled experiences:

• Simplicity drives love: 64% of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand because of a simple experience.
• Simplicity drives growth: Since 2009, a stock portfolio made up of the simplest publicly traded brands (as defined by Siegel+Gale) has outperformed the market by 686%.