Tell
me, when you want to learn to be the best at
something, do you study the amateurs or the pros?
Amazon.com has spent years and mega-millions of
dollars making their complex site simple to use
(okay, so they are not turning a profit, but they do
make sales, LOTS of sales). So if you are thinking
of putting something on your site, ask yourself, "Would
Amazon do this?"
The
best websites load in about 10 seconds at 28.8 kps.
All sorts of things affect download times, but the
bottom line is that nobody is going to wait ages for
your page to appear on their computer1.
They'll just click on over to your competition. Big
file sizes2, lots of graphics, high
resolutions … they may look cool once they’ve
downloaded but the simple fact is your prospect
doesn’t want them and won’t wait. Industry
leaders design for the lowest (reasonably) common
denominator out there. They don't assume everyone
has high-speed connections or state-of-the-art
monitors. Do you want you site to appeal to most
people? Well, most people still surf at 28.8.
Most people have small monitors. Most people have
their monitors set for 800x600 and don’t even know
they can change it, much less how. And since studies
prove that on the web visitors look for text, not
graphics, make clear, strong text available
right away. That will keep them interested while the
graphics load. Only use graphics if they help
prospects understand what they are looking for or
convey information that can't be done effectively
through text. And keep those as simple as possible
so they load quickly. Avoid scrolling if you
possibly can, but if you must use it, use
vertical scrolling only, never horizontal, and place
the most important information above the scrolling
line. Get your most important information to your
prospects fast!
The
best websites have simple and consistent navigation.
Your average prospect will view 2-3 pages before
moving on, so at best, you’re two clicks away from
dead in the water unless you help them get where
they want to go quickly. It can be done - and it
really does matter! Why do you think Amazon.com is
fighting so hard to protect its 1-Click Shopping?
I
hate to say it, but most online shoppers are
conditioned like Pavlov's dogs. Stuff like: blue,
underlined hyperlinks mean "click here" to
almost everyone. So use them, don’t confuse them!
And avoid underlining or using blue text for
anything else. Likewise, don’t put links in
another color. Most people will miss them. Place
your navigation cues on the top and/or left of every
page, with the same links arrayed at the bottom. Use
categorization schemes that make sense (tabs or
something similar works well) for multiple elements3.
And frames may look cool, but they’re a bad idea.
Redesign your site to lose them and your sales will
go up.
Search
functions?
Studies show that a) the average shopper doesn’t
know how to use them, and b) most search functions
give bad or no results so often that shoppers are
better off with links. And you may be tired of
me saying it, but frustrated shoppers simply leave.
But if you really think you have to use a search
function, label it clearly with instructions. Also,
provide a mechanism to make it simple for users to
narrow their search. If your search hands over too
many irrelevant results, prospects will feel
overwhelmed and leave. But most important, make sure
the darn thing works right (gives fast and
accurate results) under as many conditions as
you can possibly think of. Humans are amazingly
talented at screwing up even the stuff that seems
obvious.
Speaking
of obvious, the best websites make everything
obvious. First and foremost, help your prospect see
the information - white backgrounds are quick to
download and help information stand out. Label
stuff. Offer concise explanations. Always remember, if
your visitor can't find a function, it's not there! Remember,
too, that if they’re looking for a function and
can’t find it fast, or find a clear alternative,
they’re gone.
Next,
imagine you’re lost in the middle of a huge store
with no signs. Where’s checkout? Where’s
housewares? Where’s the bathroom! How much do you
like this store? How much do you want to buy now? Never
leave your prospect stranded anywhere on your site.
Provide clear navigation from anywhere to
anywhere on every page. And for heaven's sake,
keep all your navigation links within your page.
Unless you want to encourage your customers to
leave, don't direct them to the back button on the
browser. Any trip to the menu bar is an opportunity
for your prospect to kiss you goodbye. And
they don’t come back.
The
best websites don't assume the client is an expert
user.
Technology is a wonderful thing, but Joe and
Josephine Consumer are years behind the tech types. Your
GUI should be simple (Graphical User
Interface,
pronounced "gooey" - the sort of stuff you
won't want your prospects stuck in). Also, never
make them download plug-ins. The average shopper
doesn’t know how, and even if they do, why take
them away from the shopping process and force them
to do something else because some designer
thought it would be cool. They won’t say
“wow.” They’ll leave. If you can’t design it
into your site and still have it load fast and all
that other important stuff, leave it out. And
give your prospects simple, clear instructions
and helpful tools to guide them through the
buying process (if they can't understand checkout,
they won't).
AOL
dominates the ISP/Portal world. And what’s
their hook? "So easy to use, no wonder
it's #1!" Who are they trying to reach? Most
people. They make sure every interface is
obvious, and they provide lots of on- and offline
support. There's a ton of complexity behind the
screen, but what the user experiences is super
simple!
Keep
in mind: visitors are looking for a reason not
to trust you. Pay attention to the details: check
for typos, grammatical errors, screen error
messages, images that don’t open, browser
compatibility, functions that don’t work - everything.
Then have somebody different check again.
The
best websites create the brand by creating a great
user experience.
Our good friend, Roy Williams, The Wizard of Ads,
says, "Sell substance with substance and style
with style." You have to pay attention to the perceived
value of your shopper's experience and or you
won’t be successful. If your product or service is
primarily related to style (fashion or
entertainment), then your site design must convey
that flavor - while respecting all the stuff
we’ve said so far. That’s the challenge of
designing for simplicity. Similarly, if your
business is information-rich or has big-ticket
items, you need to provide lots of substance so your
customers can have the satisfying experience
of evaluating things on their own. In the end it is
all about how your site makes them feel.
I
shouldn't have to tell you style and substance mean
nothing if you ignore the importance of first
impressions (downloads, navigation, ease of
understanding information, spelling errors) or spew
lots of jargon, acronyms and techno-babble at your
customer. No matter how strong your brand in an
offline world, you will still lose the sale.
The
brand you establish has everything to do with how
you design your online presence. Listen to
these folks:
Clement
Mok, Chief Creative Officer of Web design firm
Studio Archetype/ Sapient, says, “the
trusted brand in the dirt world consumers
would probably trust in the digital world. But
while they would trust it enough to get
through the trial and presentation, the user
experience has to be validated beyond that
first impression. The loop needs to be closed
with fulfillment." When establishing a
track record on the Internet Mok says,
"It's all about reliability and
execution. The stronger the execution, the
quicker you are able to establish a brand on
the Internet."
