Get More Online Sales: Small Business Web Site Usability
By Curt Conrad
President, BrightCite Inc.
Your point of view can have a big impact on how many online visitors your small business web site converts into customers. Here’s a quick check. What do you believe about the people visiting your small business website? Do you think these visitors:
1. Know what your business is?
2. Are willing to click around, search and dig to learn about your business?
3. Understand how your business is different from competitors?
4. Want to do business with you and be your customer?
5. Came as a result of a recommendation or sought you out directly?
6. Know what you want them to do or "get" from your web site?
7. Understand the distinctive vocabulary and industry jargon you use in your business?
8. Care at all about you or your business?
While a few of these questions may be answered yes, many times the answer is no - meaning if your web site point of view comes from false assumptions, your web site may be losing customers at hello. I believe a small business web site will convert far more visitors into paying customers if it’s built from the following assumptions and corresponding point of view. Your business web site needs to:
1. Clearly explain why your business is special right from the start.
2. State simply what business you are in so a 10-year-old-would "get it"!
3. Provide all the information a user needs to do business with you. Provide a simple way to get in touch with someone at your business. Identify them by name and even a picture. Make it ridiculously easy for someone to do business with you.
4. Provide an easy way visitors can refer your web site to a friend. This means not just providing your domain name but by giving them a special link that takes visitors to a specific page (or landing page) that clear explains the unique value your business provides. Don’t make the mistake of directing someone to a page within your site that doesn’t represent your business well to someone unfamiliar with your company.
5. Give visitors a reason to act now. Make a clear call to action. Provide can’t miss instructions for "next steps".
6. Eliminate privacy concerns by clearly informing users that you won’t abuse their personal information. Show you are credible. Offer secure transactions. Prove you can trusted.
7. Conduct a simple usability test for your site by asking a few people to find specific information on it. Observe carefully how long it takes them to get what they need. Ask them if it was a comfortable or frustrating experience. Apply what you learn.
Assuming that your users know nothing about your site gives you a powerful mindset that can increase your conversion rates. It forces you to take nothing for granted. It helps you make smart design and content choices. And that will make your customers happy and your bank account swell.