Too Many Choices are Sabotaging Your Customer Experience
More Options, More Problems. Why Simplicity Wins in Customer Experience
📌🚀 Turn Every Team into Customer Champions
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I still remember standing in the cereal aisle, staring at a wall of choices—dozens of brands, flavors, organic options, gluten-free, high-protein, low-sugar, oat-based, corn-based, family-size, single-serve, fiber-packed, and whatever else marketing teams had dreamed up.
I wasn’t picking out a car; I just wanted breakfast.
And instead of feeling empowered by the variety, I felt stuck.
Too many options. Too much thinking.
Five minutes passed, and I was still comparing labels like my life depended on it.
In the end, I grabbed the same brand I always buy—not because it was the best, but because my brain was exhausted.
Have you ever walked away from a purchase just because there were too many options?
That’s exactly how customers feel when faced with too many choices.
Websites with 20 pricing tiers, streaming platforms that make you scroll for half an hour, retail brands with 17 variations of the same product.
Companies think they’re offering value, but most of the time, they’re just frying people’s brains.
The Myth That More Is Better
Psychologist Barry Schwartz calls this the Paradox of Choice—the idea that while we think more options will make us happier, they actually create:
Decision fatigue – The more choices people have, the longer they take to decide. Sometimes, they don’t decide at all.
More regret, less satisfaction – Even when they do choose, customers often second-guess themselves. “Should I have gone with the other one?”
Less trust in their decision – If they feel confused or overwhelmed, they won’t feel confident in their choice. And if they don’t trust their choice, they sure as hell won’t trust you.
The Data Doesn’t Lie: Simplicity Works
Let’s talk numbers. If you think reducing choices is just a theory, the numbers say otherwise:
The Jam Study (Iyengar & Lepper, 2000) – When a supermarket displayed 24 types of jam, only 3% of customers bought one. When they reduced it to 6 options, sales jumped to 30%.
Hick’s Law – The time it takes to make a decision increases logarithmically as the number of choices increases. That’s why fewer menu items speed up restaurant orders and why Amazon’s “Buy Now” button works so well.
Sheena Iyengar’s Retirement Plan Study – Employees given too many 401(k) plan options were 10x less likely to enroll compared to those given just a few.
Fewer choices. Faster decisions. Better CX.
Simplicity isn't just about reducing clutter—it's a mindset that defines entire businesses.
Some of the most influential leaders have built their careers on making things effortlessly intuitive for customers. Let's look at two people who have mastered the art of keeping things simple.
A Simplicity-First Mindset: David Heinemeier Hansson & Jony Ive
Two standout figures in simplicity-driven design and business thinking are David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) and Jony Ive, the legendary former Chief Design Officer at Apple.
David Heinemeier Hansson & Basecamp
DHH, co-founder of Basecamp, has built his entire company around simplicity-first software. Instead of bloated enterprise tools with a million features, Basecamp offers just what you need to collaborate efficiently—nothing more.
He summed it up best:
“Most software has a tiny essence that justifies its existence, everything after that is wants and desires mistaken for needs and necessities.”
This is why Basecamp has a loyal following. It doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. It just works—because it’s simple.
Jony Ive & Apple’s Design Philosophy
Jony Ive was the driving force behind Apple’s iconic product designs, championing minimalism and clarity in everything from the iMac to the iPhone. His philosophy? Remove everything unnecessary.
He once said:
“Simplicity is not the absence of clutter, that's a consequence of simplicity. Simplicity is somehow essentially describing the purpose and place of an object and product. The absence of clutter is just a clutter-free product. That's not simple.”
Ive’s influence helped make Apple products intuitive, clean, and easy to use. No excess buttons. No confusing features. Just design that “feels right.” His work proves that simplicity isn’t just about looks—it’s about function, experience, and making things effortless.
The impact of simplicity isn’t limited to individuals—it extends to the very products and companies that shape our daily experiences. Some brands have embraced this philosophy at their core, proving that reducing complexity isn’t just good design—it’s good business.
Companies That Keep It Simple (and Win)
You’ve heard about Apple and Trader Joe’s. Let’s talk about some brands that aren’t in every business case study but absolutely get simplicity right.
Muji – Japan’s no-brand brand. Muji strips away the noise—no flashy logos, no unnecessary features. Just simple, functional products that make shopping easy.
No Name – A Canadian grocery brand that literally calls itself No Name. No gimmicks, no distractions, just plain yellow packaging with exactly what’s inside. And it works. They even launched a No Name mobile brand.
Our Legacy – A Stockholm-based fashion brand that doesn’t throw endless options at you. Instead, they curate a small, timeless collection—so you can buy what actually looks good instead of panic-scrolling for hours.
The Outset – Skincare can be a nightmare of 50-step routines and overwhelming product lines. The Outset, co-founded by Scarlett Johansson, launched with just five essentials. Simple, effective, done.
Petalon – A UK-based flower delivery service that offers just a few bouquets at a time. No decision fatigue—just beautifully curated arrangements that make choosing a no-brainer.
The Bottom Line
Customers don’t want more choices. They want the right ones—presented in a way that’s easy, obvious, and friction-free.
Businesses that simplify the customer journey win every time.
Your Turn
What’s a company that does simplicity right? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your take!
The Simplicity Self-Check: Is Your CX Too Complicated?
Want to know if your company is guilty of overwhelming customers? Take this CX Simplicity Test.
✅ Can customers find what they need in three clicks or less?
✅ Does your website have fewer than five main menu items?
✅ Can customers check out in under a minute?
✅ Does your product/service page avoid unnecessary jargon?
✅ Are you offering too many variations of the same thing?
If you answered "no" to any of these, it’s time to simplify. Simple, right?
What Successful CX Leaders Do on Sundays
DCX Links: Six must-read picks to fuel your leadership journey delivered every Sunday morning. Dive into the latest edition now!
👋 Please Reach Out
I created this newsletter to help customer-obsessed pros like you deliver exceptional experiences and tackle challenges head-on. But honestly? The best part is connecting with awesome, like-minded people—just like you! 😊
Here’s how you can get involved:
Got feedback? Tell me what’s working, what’s not, or what you’d love to see next.
Stuck on something? Whether it’s a CX challenge, strategy question, or team issue, hit me up—I’m here to help.
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Your input keeps this newsletter fresh and valuable. Let’s start a conversation—email me, DM me, or comment anytime. Can’t wait to hear from you!
— Mark
www.marklevy.co
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Thanks for being here. I’ll see you next Tuesday at 8:15 am ET.
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📌🚀Turn Every Team into Customer Champions
Ready to cultivate a customer-obsessed culture? A CX Leader’s Guide to Organizational Buy-In is your playbook for ensuring that every department—customer service, sales, product, tech, finance, HR, and beyond—puts customers at the center of everything it does.
Learn how to rally every department around customer obsession, click the button below to get started:
Join the global community of 1,100+ CX trailblazers who receive the DCX Newsletter first—packed with fresh insights, inspiration, and tools to elevate your customer experience game. Don’t miss out—join the movement today!