Let's imagine that your site is getting so much traffic that you have been told your servers can barely handle it, and they may explode at any moment. Fantastic! Well done! You must have read the Search Engine Optimization article. All that's left is getting them to take action
The greatest challenge for webmasters riding the search wave is raising conversions rates. After all, what good is thousands of visitors a day, if they don't make you any money? Which is exactly where web usability optimization fits into the puzzle.
Web usability optimization is the process of enhancing a site with best practices and testing to increase conversion rates. It is often met with skepticism, but web usability optimization is a key factor in creating a successful website.
Consider this:
- For the typical website, 80% of visitors will leave immediately after entering it.
- The average internet user will judge a site's credibility in a fraction of a second.
- In retail, only 1%-2% off all first time users, usually entering from search engines, will convert to a sale. Telemarketers have better success rates.
These stats are eye opening, and they beg the question, 'how can I convert my site visitors better?'
The answer is anything but simple, as there are usually hundreds of tiny changes that can be made to a site that will boost its conversion rate. On a larger scale however, the problem that plagues web sites most is organization. When a visitor lands on one of your pages, the route that will lead he or she to converting should be as direct and intuitive as possible. Pop-ups, music, flash introductions and other non-essential influential factors that may distract or cause the visitor to leave should be avoided at all times.
This basic organization should be balanced with professional design. In the mind of a visitor, a professional design will create immediate credibility and trust in the mind of the consumer. Think about it. Would you buy a television from a site that looked like your nephew from grammar school designed it? Neither will your customer.
And there are countless other pointers for creating a better converting site. Don't use grey text unless you don't want people to read something. Keep your links a single color. Do not force your visitors to sit through a 30 second flash introduction before entering your site. Internet users don';t read instructions, so make your forms intuitive and to the point. And so on.
Web usability optimization is a difficult task that requires knowledge of the industry as well as a perceptive mind capable of juggling stats and spotting solutions where others see HTML. Contact us. We can offer advice and suggestions that will take your site to the next level.