Loved

Chapter 23Understanding in Action: Netflix and Zendesk

My kids can't comprehend that I watched Friends over a decade of committed Thursday night viewings. They got to know that Ross winds up with Rachel in just a few months. Their entire lives have been lived in an era where TV is watched on demand, on any device, and with total customer control. The biggest force behind this massive transformation in consumer behavior was Netflix.

Zendesk started 10 years after Netflix. Although SaaS had been around, the idea of going directly to customer service reps with a free trial—as easy as Netflix's—to sell a product intended for big businesses was relatively new. Zendesk decided there were plenty of companies who wanted simpler interfaces and a more modern way to buy. They became one of a wave of SaaS companies transforming how B2B software goes to market.

Both companies had exceptional products and strategies combined with exceptional messaging. It positioned their products well for the market and their business.

Their go-to-market models depended on converting visitors into trial customers. They messaged accordingly and evolved over time, adapting to shifts in customer behavior, company awareness, and business strategy.

This chapter looks at how all these shifts were reflected in their messaging. I'll explain how they meet CAST guidelines, but take as a given that everything on a page was heavily tested and iterated. Both companies famously treated their websites as products.