Five problems with your Website, and how to fix them

Over the past nine months, we’ve been offering usability studies, and as a result had the pleasure of reviewing many of your Websites in more depth. While some sites have stood out for their simplicity and clarity, there are a few major trends that sour the best intentions.

To start, you may want to read this earlier column of ten usability tips for a broader view of the techniques and perspectives needed for Website success. Here, we’re just touching on the specific issues that seem to plague most of our customers.

Problem #1: What do you want me to do?
Everyone comes to your website with a purpose. Your homepage must speak directly and visually to that point. As much as it may seem like a good idea to give the most real estate to the products or services you’d like to sell most, you’re sacrificing speed and utility (read: service).

Think of it this way: if you personally greeted a customer walking into your company, would you say, “Take a look at this new piece of equipment.” Or would you be more apt to say, “What can I help you with?”

Okay, you can’t ask direct questions on the Web. But you know that you can assemble the bulk of your customers into a few groups based on their interests. Put those groups and their needs in order of importance, and then allocate your homepage real estate accordingly. One change along these lines can make a big difference in your traffic, session length, and ultimately revenue. Just show your users that you have a place for them to click right away.

Next: Problem #2: Buttons look like buttons, links look like links.
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