Because learning to think differently is the first step to an original user experience. And that we learn in sharing. We are opening a series of portraits of players in the digital ecosystem. From designer to entrepreneur, without barriers and with desire, we are going to draw the landscape of the User Experience at the dawn of 2020 by those who are its creators on a daily basis.
For this first episode, focus on a growing and yet little-known profession: the growth hacking. To discover “growth hacking”, we went to meet Paco Villetard, growth hacker Parisian. Its user-centric approach could only interest us. Portrait.
growth hacker self-taught and expert training
Having fallen into hacking since middle school, Paco quickly turned to SEO methods, in particular the black hat SEO, a form of aggressive SEO based on automatic link generation and spam, especially. Now, the Pinguin and then Panda updates from Google severely limit this type of method.
In 2012, The Family introduced the growth hacking in France. It was at this time that Paco trained in development and marketing. Inspired by crossroads and the conviction that digital will lead to the emergence of new approaches, he embarked on the growth hacking.
Growth hacking think differently about marketing
This concept was born in 2010 in the USA under the impetus of Sean Ellis. For Paco Villetard, it is a form of Marketing particularly suited to the start-up model: “To think like the others is to waste time. You have to think differently and put in place actions to develop faster than the average.”
Thus, Hotmail develops on this model before being bought by Microsoft. Other start-ups are successfully following this development: Dropbox, Facebook, Youtube, etc.
Growth hackers mainly support start-ups to solve a growth problem or make a pivot. Using proven methods backed by his experience, Paco Villetard is developing an iterative approach based on performance and the end user.
“Build the strategy with the end customer. As in UX, it is the person who buys our product who knows what they want…”
Test, analyze, iterate the perpetual movement of hacking
“The good product is the one that meets its market. Does it generate money? If sales do not take off, it is urgent to question the model”. Thus, the expert in growth begins by setting up tests in an exhaustive way. “Nothing should be left out”.
#1 Test
From Facebook Ads to marketing personas, he explores all the channels, all the strategies put in place. He then puts an A/B testing plan in order to verify optimizations on Call-to-action, advertisements or landing pages, for example. Depending on the extent of the problem and the state of the market, this key phase of the growth hacking lasts from 15 days to a few months.
#2 Analyse
“My KPI is mainly turnover. I have to generate money.” According to the analytics, Paco is reorienting its optimizations. He sets no barriers. He defines himself as a generalist expert: natural referencing, physical, advertising. He looks for the most relevant traction levers
#3 Iterate
When the turnover increases, it is then possible to form a team of Growth hackers. Paco then selects these avengers growth according to the needs of its client. Each expert develops a specialty: content writing, IT development, SEO, etc.
It is then a question of acting with efficiency: “From the moment we find a traction lever, we use it until exhaustion. And so on". These surgical strikes prove to be very suitable for agile methods and lean start-ups.
Designer & Growth Hacker partners to optimize ROI
The Growth Hacker collaborates with designers to implement the best growth strategy. When the UX Designer and UI Designer become the engine of development.
The User Experience as a lever for growth
Content is both an acquisition lever and a guarantee of a successful user experience. It is therefore necessary to optimize it in order to meet the needs of users and the expectations of our customers. For Paco Villetard, the collaboration between UX and Growth hacker translates as follows: “I start by creating content directly linked to UX. One of the bases of growth hacking is the creation of links to content. It is essential that UX participate upstream in order to guarantee an optimal user experience.” This is how “we work on the same user personas, the UX for the experience, and me for the technical aspects”.
The importance of emotion in interfaces
“Obviously, it is much easier to optimize conversion rates or acquisition on a page where emotion is present. This is one of the tests I do regularly. UI designers are inseparable partners in the pursuit of the growth hacking process.
Go from growth hacking to growth marketing
For Paco Villetard, it is no longer about hacking. “It's another approach with a method. Our processes are becoming more streamlined and professional.” These growth experts now have a rich and recognized literature. Their contribution to the development of growth now extends beyond start-ups. “In the near future, Growth Marketing centers will appear in large groups…” To be continued!
Three books to learn about Growth Hacking:
- Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Rapid Customer Growth, Gabriel Weinberg
- Lean Analytics: Use Data to Build a Better Startup Faster, Alistair Croll & Benjamin Yoskovitz
- The Lean Start Up, Eric Ries
To contact Paco Villetard on LinkedIn, it's this way.
@sebfaureUX, Learning & Development Manager @UXRepublic
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UX-CERTIFIED® by Nielsen Norman Group
From 12 to 16 November 2018
UX-Republic – Paris Saint-Lazare
For the first time in France, UX-Republic Digital Training Center offers you, in its premises in Paris, a new training in collaboration with Nielsen Norman Group.
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