Focus on core functions

When I was a boy, I loved to use balm. Whether it is mosquito bites, carsick sickness or a cold fever, balm can be useful. So when I proudly show my little partner that "balm can be cured", his "balm can be cured and nothing is cured" really poured cold water on me.

As I grew older, I met more "omnipotent" products: can shave double SIM card can be a dual-screen TV mobile phone, Acne whitening light Spot Moisturizing to Blackhead mask, can make friends can love to see video can do 3D special effects of the website and so on. and a variety of "shiny" multi-functional products, with a higher price, thicker use of the instructions, has flooded our lives.

I don't mean to scold those multi-functional products. In fact, many multi-functional products are very successful and do bring convenience to users. But there are also a lot of so-called "multi-functional" products, so that users feel confused, helpless, even frustration and anger. The key is that a successful product, no matter how many functions, will always focus on and optimize the core functionality of the product.

1. Define the core function of the product and solve the user's practical problems.

Each product should have a core function to solve the user's actual problems. Just as Facebook solves the problem of human interaction, Twitter solves the problem of real-time transmission of information, Google solves the problem of information retrieval, and YouTube solves the problem of image sharing.

In fact, many Internet products at the beginning of the function will be a single and clear. But with the iteration of the version and the addition of a variety of new features, the original core functionality is no longer clear or even forgotten. And the definition of these Internet products, from "This is a site to do xxx" into "This is a can xxx/xxx/xxx/... Website.

What is the core function of an Internet product? What does it do? What's the problem with the user? When these questions cannot be answered with a simple sentence, perhaps it is time for the product to reflect.

2. Focus on core functions, continuous optimization

Good Internet products not only identify their core functions, but also ensure that their core functions look and use up to the core.

Facebook will be used to share text entry boxes, from the dynamic and information of friends, put on the front page eye-catching position, do the most possible to downplay or even unless the core functions, and how to let users faster, convenient to share and contact friends to do continuous optimization, continuously from the function, interaction, interface to strengthen their core functions.

As shown in the picture above, on Facebook, almost all the features on the home page are centered around sharing information with friends and getting information from friends. Just left the apps entrance at the bottom of the left-hand navigation, and there is no content that is irrelevant to its core function. PS: The author originally wanted to circle the image of the core features of the area of Facebook, the results found that the entire home is about the core function, so eventually no lap ... ）

This is also true of the Twitter interface, as shown above. The entire homepage is centered around the sharing and acquisition of instant information. To highlight the core features, Twitter puts information sharing and information from others on the left side of the home page, while putting some auxiliary information on the right.

3. function addition and subtraction

Most Internet products, in addition to the core functions, will always have some other functions. By brainstorming, or by project team discussions, new functions are created, which we call functional addition. Adding to any product is not a difficult task for anyone. With a variety of methods, we can get a list of hundreds of features. From a multitude of functions, the exclusion of those users do not need, or little need, to retain those who really meaningful to the user, we call functional subtraction.

Adding new features to the Internet's products is so easy and sounds so good that people are always happy to add new features that users "might" use on their products. However, with the new features of Internet products more and more, followed by the development, maintenance costs, product opening faster and slower, more and more poor performance, the old users of the product is unfamiliar, new users of many functions feel at a loss or even frustrated. Therefore, when the Internet products add new features, many times can not get the increase in user volume and user satisfaction, and even sometimes the user satisfaction will not rise and fall.

Most Internet products are always additive, so they always go into the cycle of product iterations. In such a large environment, focus on functional subtraction is particularly important.

Written in the last

Only by continuing to clear, focus, optimize the core functions of products, dare to abandon redundant functions, to retain the user really useful functions, in order to eventually develop outstanding Internet products.

Source: http://www.sndaued.com/blog/?p=909