Web Design
10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Using Flash
Adobe Flash has been habitually misused by design-centric website developers — so much so that a few of us at FutureNow tend to wince when it’s even mentioned in passing.
It’s not that we don’t like Flash. When used purposefully, Flash has the potential to dramatize a product or service’s benefits in ways that static pictures and text can’t quite match.
The micro-site for the Sigma DP-1 camera (choose language preference to start) is a good example of Flash done right.
Notice how the choreographed presentation of text and pictures dramatizes the benefit of having a DSLR image sensor in a compact camera body. And notice how the site’s designers capture your attention from the beginning of the presentation and lead you to a place where you can then interact with the camera’s features.
Sigma’s Flash presentation creates persuasive momentum, then leverages it by bringing viewers to an interactive website where they can drill down into specifics.
For an example of Flash used within a website — rather than as an introduction to a website — I recommend taking a look at this page from the Leo Diamond website. No, it’s not the prettiest site out there, but the Flash tools provide visitors with a better feel for diamond carrot size and color than either text or static pictures could. And it works.
Flash can be an effective tool when used intelligently and sparingly. But before you decide on using it, ask yourself the following questions:
1. What will this allow me to convey that text and static images wouldn’t?
2. Am I actually conveying benefits or just adding sparkle and glitz?
3. Is there a way to make this more interactive and not just a push-presentation?
4. If I can’t make it interactive, what can I do to hook the viewer right from the start, so they don’t skip the presentation? (You ARE going to provide a “skip” option, right?)
5. What pathways am I providing to the flash viewer when they are done with the interactive tool or presentation?
6. Are there clear links and pathways forward that will lead to conversion?
7. Will the static content allow visitors to drill down into the topics most important to them?
8. Does it address the visitor’s true concerns?
9. Will you capitalize on the persuasive momentum from the Flash presentation?
10. Do your calls to action continue to build on that momentum?
If you can answer those questions, it might be smart to use Flash sparingly.
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About the Author: Jeff Sexton is a Persuasion Architect, and on June 2nd, he’ll be taking the day off from helping clients fuse style and substance to teach FutureNow’s Persuasive Online Copywriting seminar in Manhattan.
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Written by:Jeff Sexton
Big Impact, Small Changes on Amazon
You probably didn’t notice, but Amazon just made it easier to quickly glance at the product you want and get all the information you need in order to buy.
All it took was few simple changes to the text on their product pages. By adjusting the size, color and font of the text and removing unnecessary words, they’ve cleaned up the product pages and made them easier to scan and skim.
Here’s what’s new:
• Font & Word Choice — Larger, color headline. Selective bolding. Price is larger. Less verbiage.
• Up-sell Area — Now shows product image. Cleaner headline matches product page headline.
Before…
This is how Amazon’s product descriptions used to look. As you can see, there’s not much differentiation in the text. Although there’s a lot of important stuff to read, it’s all in bold — which basically makes bolding meaningless (think “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”).
After…
Product Name, Price and Availability are things that all visitors want to see when they’re on a product page. With these changes, Amazon has further highlighted what’s essential — as they did by changing the size and color of the headlines — or cut the fat — as they did by editing out unnecessary words and turning bold into light gray. After all, should we be looking at the word “Price” or at the actual price?
Exactly.
So, how does Amazon know which changes will make their website more easy to use and therefore convert better? It’s not because they’re any smarter than you or your CMO (although we’re sure Amazon has some very smart people). It’s because they’ve built “a culture of website optimization.”
If you want to test strategically (like Amazon), we can help.
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Written by:Daniel McGuigan
How Website Images Affect Visitor Persuasion
Have you ever read a blog post that had so many interesting and profound ideas, you actually re-read it several times? That’s what happened to me when I read this fascinating article by Joseph Carrabis at iMedia Connections.
I originally read the article because it talks about gender and website design. But there’s much more to it than the title (”Website Marketing Across Genders”) suggests. For instance, the phenomenon he calls “Towards” and “AwayFrom” advertising.
I’ll dig into that in another post, but in the meantime, take a look at his description of using a visual on a page to draw visitors toward a specific action:
Let me give you an example of an automotive retailer site that also works in print. The goal is to have the visitor purchase a new vehicle. Place an image in the upper part of the screen or print piece. The left of the image is the owned vehicle, the right of the image is the desired or target vehicle. Just right of center is the couple or an individual facing the desired vehicle and walking towards it.
The web’s media capabilities allow the message to get across very well because the couple or individual can be seen actually moving towards the target vehicle. In a static image that implies walking have the right hand swinging towards the target vehicle, the left hand swinging towards the owned vehicle.
So simple. So powerful.
Speaking of simple and powerful, if you haven’t read Bryan Eisenberg’s award-winning article on images and eyetracking, you should. It definitely clarifies Joseph’s point.
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Written by:Holly Buchanan
A New Contender for Best 404 Error Message
As any multi-tasker/easily-distracted-person knows, this happens all the time. We click on an a link sent via email, a few scrap letters get cut off the end, and OUCH… 404 error.
It really frosts my monocle.
Last year, Smashing Magazine offered plenty of example fodder for how to flip the 404 pancake. Those ones were great, but now I’ve got a new personal favorite.
Although it may not be the talk of the town just yet, The New Yorker’s error message ought to be. Notice how they stay on-brand while keeping you engaged with the site:
(Click to see how they keep you from hitting the ‘back’ button.)
Observations
- The cartoon supports their brand.
- They link to fresh content.
- There’s in-site search.
- Full top navigation.
- There’s even a podcast.
- It’s memorable.
- It should lower bounce rate.
Note to Smarty-Pants Readers: Yes, we realize our 404 message isn’t as cool as this — yet. At the moment, it takes you to our archives page. Feel free to cast the first stone in the comments 
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Written by:Robert Gorell
Let Visitors Design Your Site for You
You’ll never build a site that’s as good as the one your visitors can build for themselves.
Even people with no sense of aesthetics are brilliant designers. It’s true.
How do you turn every visitor into a Web designer without training them, paying them, or even letting them know what you’re up to? (It’s not as bad as it sounds. Really.)
By conducting A/B and multivariate tests, you empower customers to collectively decide what works best for them. Supply them with different variations on your site and run the tests and they will tell you how they want your site to look and behave through their actions — which, as the cliché goes, speak louder than words.
Should you just test random changes in headlines, calls to action, and navigation? No way. Start fresh with a new hypothesis.
Test it.
Now that the Web is truly interactive, it’s all about the customer’s voice. That’s why it’s an absolute must to test your site; because without doing so, you’re forcing an environment upon your visitors without bothering to adjust to their needs. And that attitude is truly a thing of the past.
Are professional web designers still important? Of course! But design choices are merely assumptions, and they’re often no better than your own. A web design exists to enable and entice visitor actions — and that’s worth optimizing for.
What works best for your customers works best for you. When you test, everyone wins. Even if you get a bad result, you still win; you’ve confirmed that what you have is working better than the new assumptions you’ve made in the alternate variation. So, not only is testing far cheaper than doing an entire redesign, it’s often more effective to roll out a redesign by testing new sections and bits of content individually, rather than just dropping it on customers all at once. (Amozon just launched a redesign this way. Did you notice?)
Wrong assumptions will be made. No big deal. Get a new hypothesis. Test it.
Your visitors are trying to give you valuable information, but unless you’re testing, they have no voice.
In a recent study, 76.7% of online retailers said they don’t test. Are you?
..
[Image credit: T.H.E. Journal.]
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Written by:Ronald Patiro
Is Something Wrong With Your Design?
I’m still settling in from my trip last week to the Internet Retailer Design conference. If you didn’t attend, you missed a great first-time show, so you’ll have to check it out next year.
Over 800 people showed up to hear the speakers and meet with consultants (like me) to evaluate their current websites — and some even discussed mock-ups and prototypes of new versions of their sites. My back-of-the-napkin calculation is that Internet Retailer gave away around $150,000 worth of consultations, but I’ll ask you the one common question I asked several of the companies I met with just for the price of spending a few minutes reading.
What makes you think the new design you’re working on is going to work any better than the one you have today?
I recall sitting with one of the most recognized brands on the Web and him pulling out his mock-ups. They felt that they had issues around how products were presented and how their navigation worked. They offered a complex menu with way too many options in their current navigation, and were hoping to improve it by using a top level menu with a javascript rollover.
“What research do you have that indicates that new navigation will work better than the current one?” I asked. He was honest and said, “None.”
So why don’t you test it?
Internet Retailer did a pre-conference survey and asked the top 500 retailers if they’re doing multivariate or A/B testing, and included the results in their Website Design & Usability Guide.
Amazingly, 76.7% of retailers surveyed don’t test!
Huh? Now that you can get A/B and Multivariate testing tools for free from Google, why aren’t you testing?
We’ve also found that it’s safer to roll out a redesign in stages, in order to avoid the initial drop in conversion that often results from a redesign. Why not roll this out as a series of tests?
If you need help, call us at 877-643-7244 (ext. 3316). We’d be happy to help you make more money before and after your redesign.
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Written by:Bryan Eisenberg
1,000 Tips for Selling Online Without Paying a Copywriter
“Why do we — as web-builders — overlook even the most basic aspects of language so frequently when we build our sites? Is language so transparent in our lives that we fail to recognize its importance?” -Julia Hayden
The answer to Julia’s second question is yes. The omnipresence of language hides its overwhelming importance from us; it’s one of those “don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” situations.
That’s why I recommend Netdisaster to anyone who wants to know if hiring a copywriter is “worth it.” Just enter the website’s URL, select “text sucker” as your preferred disaster, and let the magic vacuum do its thing.
This is what happens when you remove Amazon’s homepage copy:
Think that’s bad? Look at what happens to a product page without copy:
Pretty hard to use a website like that, isn’t it?
Intuitive graphic design is important, but let’s not forget the findings of Apple’s Human Interface Group*:
“In 1985, after finding that pretty but unlabeled icons confused customers, the Apple Computer Human Interface Group adopted the motto, “A word is worth a thousand pictures,” and a descriptive word or phrase was added beneath all Macintosh icons.”
So, the next time your boss or a prospective client fails to see the full value of Web copy, give ‘em a dose of the text sucker. This may be one situation where a picture truly is worth (more than) a thousand (persuasive) words.
Oh, right! I almost forgot the tips. Well, it’s actually the same tip 1,000 times over.
Tips #1 - 1,000: Don’t be cheap! Hire persuasive copywriters.
[*Editor’s Note: We’re not sure where the original quote is from, but perhaps Ankesh is. Also, if you’re still looking for advice on how to sell online, here’s the ultimate cheat sheet.]
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Written by:Jeff Sexton
Are You a Call to Action Lefty?
As a Conversion Analyst, I review hundreds of websites in a given week. So when I come across unusual design elements, it doesn’t exactly surprise me, but it does catch my eye. Crutchfield has gone the unconventional route by placing the “Add to Cart” button on the left-hand side, despite the fact that visitors are accustomed to seeing important calls to action on the right.
Why would Crutchfield go against the norm?
While there’s a good amount of info on this product page, are they sure that visitors are more likely to purchase when the call to action sits to the left of the product? Have they at least tested determine, without a doubt, which side yields a better conversion rate and higher average order value?
I want to believe there’s some rhyme or reason to Crutchfield’s logic. Still, I wonder if they really know which sells best.
[Read John’s follow-up on how to test this feature: “Add-to-Cart Buttons: Stuck in the Middle With You“]
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Written by:Peter Lee
Internet Retailer Web Design Conference, Miami
Who: Bryan Eisenberg offers one-on-one advice on how to optimize attendees’ websites to boost conversion and ROI by reducing friction in the customer experience.
What: No area of e-retailing is covered more thoroughly by Internet Retailer than the related topics of retail web site design and web site usability. That’s because no area of e-retailing affects the web merchant’s bottom line more than this one. Simply put, web sites that are inviting, easy to navigate and simple to use are more likely to convert web shoppers into online buyers. The agenda for this premier edition of the Internet Retailer Web Design ‘08 Conference is focused exclusively on showing attendees practical ways for designing more attractive and user-friendly web sites that improve online conversion rates—the single most important metric affecting web site profitability.
Attendees who have pre-registered prior to midnight on Friday, January 18th, qualify for free consultations [like the ones Bryan is providing]. Due to demand, the consultations have been extended to Thursday, January 31st and Friday, February 1st. Please note that Wednesday, January 30th is completely booked and all remaining appointments will be provided on Thursday and Friday as space permits.
Where: InterContinental Hotel, Miami
When: January 30 - February 1
Why: Because real beauty in retail web design is far from skin deep. If you want to boost your site’s performance, best practices and high style will only get you so far. And to optimize your site so it sells, you must know what truly helps customers buy.
More Info: Visit Internet Retailer’s Web Design Conference site for info on pricing, speakers, workshops, and travel arrangements.
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Ecommerce Marketers and Designers: Read This Book
If every designer (and the marketers who hire them) read Web Design for ROI, the new book by Lance Loveday & Sandra Niehaus, the Web would be a better and more profitable place.
Sure, the book will show you design techniques that help generate positive ROI, but the best of all is that it’s easy to follow. The authors dissect a website into six common sections — homepage, detail or landing pages, category pages, product pages, forms, and checkout — found on commerce sites, and they walk the reader through various optimization tactics for each. The book is a pragmatist’s dream, full of examples and “best practices” (or is that “best principles”?) that make it easy to take leaps and bounds in understanding how to use your website to make more money by reducing friction in the customer experience.
If you manage an e-commerce site, or design them, and haven’t read this book or Call to Action by Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg and Lisa T. Davis, there’s probably a lot of low-hanging fruit left to grab on your site by modifying simple design changes and testing the results. These types of fixes don’t take a lot of effort but they yeild nice results in terms of boosting conversion rates and average order value.
While Web Design for ROI doesn’t venture as deep into the principles of conversion as Call to Action, its solid approach, combined with the authors’ personality, make it a worthwhile read for anyone fixing the money-leaking holes on their website. This book is about making your e-commerce site a strategic extension of the company’s business model while building it around the customer experience.
This is definitely not your typical design book, and thats why we’re giving it the thumbs-up here at Future Now.
For more info, check out WD4ROI.com before you checkout at Amazon.
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Written by:Ronald Patiro
