Get Lost!

Yesterday I had to make a call to a government agency about a strange letter I received.  The phone system was HELL.  First select English, then listen to 6 options (didn't hear one that really applied so had to listen twice) take a guess at a selection that *might* be correct, listen to 4 more options - none of these seemed correct.  Tried selectin 0 which in most cases will get an operator, no such luck.  Made a random guess - it ended up telling me about a new policy and wished me a good day (in other words said good-bye and hung up).

Round 2: Select English, listen to 6 options - try a different choice. Listen to 5 more options - choose something that is irrelevant but sounds like it has an outside chance of reaching a person...

Have you been there, done that?  Layers and layers of choices and yet they don't get what you wanted. Layers. They are everywhere!

Unfortunately many websites are the same way - nothing but layers.  Why would you put a potential customer (yes even non-profit and government agencies have "customers" they serve) through the hell of trying to sort through all those layers! Worse yet, about half of these websites don't even use breadcrumbs to help you know where you in the website.

Here's one example - to get to the explanation of changes based on the new Obamacare you'll go through at least 5 screens of  "it's coming" content.  That's the number of clicks before it starts to give you the info from the link on the front page. Then they want 8 more minutes of your time.

Government and insurance websites are among the worse offenders although you can also find this problem in shopping websites, large corporations and more.

The point is - people just want to go to the website, get the info (or order the product) and get out. They don't want to get lost and will often leave before finding what they came for when they are lost.

The use of personas and "people like me" identifiers are key to a good user experience.  By giving "quick links" and "short cuts" to the information people are most likely to want you'll be doing us all a favor.

Control freak

The internet is full of control issues and people who have control issues. Google wants to "put you in control" by controlling what you see (they say the algorithms benefit you but really?). Social media
websites are just as bad - think of the big change Facebook made awhile back when they started telling you what your "top stories" were.  And then there is the whole privacy thing: what you think is private really isn't.

Then there are all the websites that compete for the same impressions (eyeballs) and dollars you're trying to capture. There are all the new technology gadgets that seem to dictate how your information will be displayed on mobile devices for example.

In all  my years of working on the internet, one thing remains constant, people want to have control of what happens once their website is launched: top rankings in search, exposure through links, social media traffic etc. And the irony is, those are all things that cannot be controlled.  Oh you can try to influence them, but you can't control them.  The only thing you can control is the website itself.

If Bing, Google & Yahoo didn't exist, if there were no social media channels - would your website give visitors the informational value and the ease of use to cultivate sales? What is there on your website that makes it worth visiting... more than once?

Websites that do well in search, for the most part, have quality content that's worth reading and re-reading as people research choices.  Websites that go viral have web content that is worth sharing Website that convert visitors to customers are all easy to use, give a direct path to the conversions.

Funny thing - the website is often neglected when it comes to cultivating and nurturing a professional looking, clean functioning, quality content driven website.  A quick search in the deep results pages  and you'll see dozens of websites languishing with little attention from their owners.  Like plants, a little attention goes a long way.

So if you want to "control" over the top ranking, viral social sharing, and getting more leads or sales you have to work on the one thing you can control: the website itself.  Keep the content current, include new information that will help people choose your company. Treat your website like the most important component of any internet marketing campaign - because it is!

Will, Won't & Can't

I've been doing this web thing for nearly 14 years and there is one thing that I've found true.  There are 3 types of websites: Those that will, those that won't and those that can't.

Those that will:
These websites are well thought out, well put together and have clear path and direction to the goals. These are the websites that perform well in search but more importantly are gaining in sales revenue either through quality lead generation or direct sales.  Here are is an example:

This site will because it's got several ways for people to find products - images & product list. It is quick to get from the home page to check out and it doesn't overwhelm visitors with a lot of information on the front page that isn't necessary to get people to what they want - products.

Those that won't:
Websites that won't are those that have the ability to convert but in their current state they are not working. It doesn't mean they can't be improved, they just won't be producing sales currently.  Websites that are heavy with flash, completely ignoring the growing mobile web market are perfect examples.  Another example is this one that I was asked to evaluate this morning:

Set aside the fact that the owners of this site managed to take a very exciting sport and make it blah, but the design doesn't do anything to make me want to purchase tickets from them. No trust, unprofessional, etc. But some changes and this website could do a much better job of converting.

Those that can't:
Maybe it's better said as "never will." There are many websites that are put out by multi-level marketing companies, affiliate generated websites or franchisors who won't let their franchisees make improvements.  If you've got a website that was provide for you by a parent company that was designed to promote the parent company (not you as a rep of that company) then let me just state it plainly - it won't happen. Those companies (top level affiliates, marketers etc) have no interest in your online success other than you giving them money monthly.  They aren't providing you with the opportunity to optimize for conversions, search friendliness or anything else.  And I'm sure, if you're in this boat, you've already figured that out.

Okay so this post ends on a sour note, maybe it should have been written upside down.  That being said I hope that you, dear reader, will get some gems you can use.  If you have questions please post them below or email me personally - I'm happy to help!

My pet peeve . . .

Ever since I got into designing websites (1996) I have had this pet peeve.  And I keep thinking that as time progresses people would realize how easy it is to fix and how odd it looks when it's not fixed. Are you wondering what it is? Promise not to laugh and think I'm too picky?

Here's one screen shot - see if you can guess:

Don't know yet? Try looking at this one:

Still don't know? Both websites are ALIGNED TO THE LEFT! This is a default in web design and I get that but when you have a site that is smaller than the existing average screen size (1280 px wide) it leaves a whole heap of white space on the right. And the thing that really bothers me about it - It's so very easy to fix!!

I simply don't understand why a web designer would want to leave a site aligned to the left when you can center it and have a much more professional (IMHO) look. 

That's it, my pet peeve.  And if your website is suffering in this way please call me, I'll be happy to fix it.  Better yet, how about ditching the circa 1999 design altogether and let's start fresh with a new, more professional looking website that better fits today's screen resolutions. Thank you!

Caring Ties

This morning I received an email from Peter who owns the company behind a new mobile app called "Caring Ties."  He asked me to take a look at his website and give him a call.  I thought it might be interesting to write about the suggestions I gave him to increase the number of conversions, or in this case downloads.

To start, I read the website over and I can honestly say I like the product.  As families become more involved with the care of aging loved ones and even with youngsters it's hard to keep track of all the important information like medications, medical needs, vaccinations and the like. Communication can be missed or misconstrued.  The Caring Ties app is great for keeping everyone in the family on the same page.

Now, on to the website:

The first thing that strikes me is the almost universal sign for remembering with the string around the finger.  The design is clean, makes great use of white space and the image is striking.  The thing that isn't apparent is why I need this app, what problem does it solve.  It's a simple question of motivation - why should I look any further at this website? Doesn't Facebook, email, cell phones and the like tie families together?

The second panel of the rotating banner doesn't really give any further reason to get the app.  Just more features.  

My advice: 

• Focus on the problem and how the app solves the problem.
• Use real people, faces, families to convey the problem and the secure feeling the solution can provide.
• Forget about features, tell me the benefits.  Why is it important to have the reminders? 
• Use the blog and testimonials to give real life examples of how this app will help.

In addition, the text on the website is very sparse and doesn't really have any words people would use to look for anything similar.  I suggested that while rewriting the text to focus on the problem, solution and benefits the natural language will be better for people searching for tools to help them in caring for family members.

I am anxious to see the changes in place and find out how well the changes work towards increasing the app downloads.  It's a great concept!

What to Expect from a Web Designer

Many business owners are choosing a redesign of their current (out of date) websites - if you are thinking of a redesign you may (or may not) recall what the process entails. Whether looking for a new design team or staying with your current provider this short list will serve as a reminder of that to expect.

1. Throughout the whole process you should expect excellent customer service. This should begin with the first contact all the way through the process. Emails should be answered within 24 hours and phone calls should be answered or returned within normal business hours.
   (With our company, we are available on the weekend and after hours when the need arises)


2. The design company should ask questions about your business and goals for the website. They should be able to clearly state their understanding of the project. Together you will discuss who the website targets, what the points of conversion (lead gen/sales) will be and how the results will be measured.


3. Be prepared to answer specific questions about your company. You may even be asked to provide the word for word copy for the pages of the website.
   (I actually do the copy writing for my clients to save time & make the project go faster)
   


4. When the company (or individual) has a clear understanding of the type of design / project standards you'll need they will start to build the site.
   
   Here is where things get muddy for many business owners because many designers forget - if you (the client) don't see it, it's not happening! In other words, there are many elements to the first draft design that do not represent the end result so showing you would not give you any clear indication of where the project is going. For example, showing you the style sheet that holds the layout elements of the web page will mean nothing to you - but in the end that's an important part of the project.
   
   If your designer uses a project management system you can access to see points of progress you'll feel better about the project overall.
   (Here, we have a project system so you can see the different tasks as they are marked off and supply your feedback / comments)
   
5. The overall project will take time to complete based on a number of factors: the size of the website, the level of graphic design involved, and the information provided by you. Small sites should usually be completed within 10 - 14 days provided the designer has all the information they need up front. Expect the project to slow down if the designer is waiting on information from you.


6. You should also expect flexibility from your designer in all areas of the project. Your needs may become clearer as the site comes together and you may want to make changes to the content, purpose etc. of the site as the project comes to fruition.


7. Don't expect that your design company can handle all aspects of your online presence. Hosting is needed so your website will have a place to be displayed online. Domain registration is necessary for your "dot com" address. If you need search optimization, social media or email marketing, you may also have to go to another company for those services.
   (We're a one stop shop so all of these services are available with our company)


8. Common courtesy - as with any personal contact, courtesy goes a long way. If your designer sees a deadline may be missed, for example, letting you know ahead of time and why is just a matter of courtesy.

I hope you find this information useful. It's certainly easier to navigate the web when you know what to expect.
Feel free to call me for advice, insight and information! I'm happy to help, and I would enjoy working with your project.