Part 2 of 3
Focusing on the user’s experience pays dividends in longer visit times, a higher click-through rate, and opportunities to capture leads (i.e. email addresses, visitor information).
In his excellent book, Don’t Make Me Think, author Steve Krug provides a simple definition for usability: “It really just means making sure that something works well: that a person of average ability and experience can use the thing—whether it’s a website, a toaster, or a revolving door—for its intended purpose without getting hopelessly frustrated.”
Today’s consumer can access information multiple ways on multiple devices, but not all devices deliver that information the same. The design of a website should take this into consideration. Whether on a desktop or phone, an effective website will be designed for optimal usability providing the visitor with simplicity in choice and a clear call to action.
Simplicity and Choice
Forms are the most common way to capture visitor information (specifically, email addresses). Asking for too much information or providing too many choices can lead to a kind of paralysis that kills visitor engagement.
Form design is a science and can get a little heavy, so we’ll save that for another post. Begin with these three points to make your form user-friendly and engaging:
- Be Brief-asking for the bare minimum in contact info increases pull-through significantly
- Limit Choices-consumers hear, “1, 2, 3, many”. In most instances, three selections is plenty.
- Distinguish Required and Optional Inputs-don’t you hate it when you think you have a form filled out, only to be reminded that you missed a required, though unmarked, field? So do your visitors.
Call to Action
There’s a reason that the term, “call to action”, is singular. Follow these basic guidelines to more effectively capture leads:
- Provide a Distinct Outcome-the heading should make clear what will happen once the information is submitted by the user.
- Reinforce the Outcome with the Button-using “Get a Quote” or “Open an Account” indicate actions that lead to the expected outcome.
- Begin with Verbs-using “More Information” is not a call to action, “Learn More”, is.
When attempting to improve usability on your website, remember to use the wording of your customer and not necessarily your industry. Procurement and fees might be common among your business peers, but these words are likely to be simply buying and costs to the layperson. This will reduce any friction that might slow down the user’s progress.
Missed Part 1? Read it here.
