Test Drive Website to Keep Visitors Engaged

Recently, one of my favorite retailers was advertising a great online sale so I decided to indulge in some retail therapy. I logged on, found the items I wanted and proceeded to the checkout. Unfortunately, the sale price was not honored although it was clearly marked with the merchandise description. I read the small print. I tried again but I was still being charged the full price. What to do? I had three options — make the purchase at the full price (no way!), call the customer service number (and waste all that time?) or simply log off. My choice? I logged off. The retailer lost the sale and I lost a bit of faith in the retailer.
 
Are visitors to your website having a similar negative experience? Are you making it difficult for your customers and prospects to do business with you, whether you are an e-commerce site or service provider? To avoid negative visitor experiences, periodically test drive your site by visiting it with the mindset of a customer. Better yet, ask people who visit your site for their feedback regarding their experience. It might be an eye opener. Here are three key areas to consider:

• Content. Studies show that most people have very little patience for websites that don’t make it easy to quickly find the content they are seeking. In fact, you have about five seconds to engage someone in your content before they click off in search of a site that delivers what they want. That means your web content must be meaningful, engaging and easy to read. It should be current, accurate and free of grammatical and spelling errors. If you have an e-commerce site, your content must include clear descriptions of your merchandise so visitors know what they are purchasing. If you are selling a service, the benefits and your call to action must be clear. In short, you must make it easy for customers to do business with you.

• Design. Most business owners recognize the importance of having an inviting store front or professional office. An attractive storefront entices customers to visit, browse and make a purchase. A professional office helps to inspire confidence in your services. Your website plays the same role, whether or not you have a physical store or office. When people visit your website, they form an opinion of your business based on what they see and read. The design of your website should reflect the overall image you have created for your business. It should look professional. Photos should be relevant and easy to see and serve to lead visitors through your site, not impede the journey. 

• Navigation. Patience is in short supply on the Internet. Visitors flit from one site to another seeking information that is easy to find. You can keep them coming back by making navigation of your site as easy as possible. Navigation starts at the planning stages of your website. Consider what information your visitors want and how they can best find it and plan your pages accordingly. Ensure that links to pages within your site and to other sites are working. Keep content brief to minimize scrolling. To provide more in-depth information, link additional web content to a new page.

 
Relevant content, professional design and easy navigation are keys to a user-friendly website. Test-drive your site periodically and make course corrections as needed to keep your visitors engaged. 

©2011 Joan B. Marcus Communications LLC