Web Design Best Practices

Ten Surefire Tips for Driving e-Customers Away

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 14:56:55 -0600

Ten Surefire Tips for Driving e-Customers Away
Experts say too many businesses are still setting up sites as showcases for Webmasters instead of customer-oriented sales tools.
Where are all the people? Your monthly data show that plenty of them are clicking to your Web site's home page, but most of them aren't sticking around to check out -- much less buy -- your products and services.
If you'd like to stay the course and keep driving those customers away from your site, here are 10 of the quickest ways to do it:

1. Give visitors no clue where to go.
Experts tell CRMDaily.com that poor navigation assistance is the top customer-service problem plaguing business Web sites.
Not all consumers have a Masters degree in Web navigation. And when it isn't clear or intuitive where to click to get from one place or another, many will simply close their browser window and start over -- at a new Web site.
To keep visitors involved, sites need to let users return to the home page or get to previously viewed pages when they want to do so, without being hobbled by disabled "back" buttons. All parts of the site should be accessible from links at the top and bottom of each page, he added.

2. Push visitors where you want them to go.
"I'd get irritated if I walked into a store and they told me I could only walk here, then there," said a research director. "The same principle should apply to a Web site."
Another said too many sites use the home page to hype deals on specific products being offered, much like a restaurant pushes the specials of the day.
Site operators need to realize that users have come for a specific purpose, so the home page must help the customer conduct that business and move on. The user is looking for the start of a trail to get him where he wants to go on your site.

3. Don't sweat the product details.
As simple as it sounds, many companies fail to provide basic information on products, such as sizes and colors or whether batteries are required for an electronic gadget.
Web shoppers also aren't getting enough information on the quality of goods. A Yankee Group's recent customer survey uncovered a "startling" statistic: Of those who use the Internet to conduct product research but never buy things online, 85 percent said it was because they couldn't tell the quality of the merchandise via their computer.
This is a huge market opportunity for online merchants who can do a better job of providing the tools to consumers to evaluate products more effectively online.

4. Limit your customer universe.
Many sites target their potential customer base with too fine a filter by requiring visitors to have -- or download -- plug-ins to view or navigate portions of the site. This tactic not only spurns visitors who don't have the required technology, but also discourages some of those who do.
Even though hundreds of millions of desktops have plug-ins installed, it doesn't mean all of those users want to view wildly animated graphics or to hear blaring rock music.

5. Require customers to register first.
Many consumers remain skittish about providing personal information to sites even if it's just an e-mail address or zip code.
To quell privacy fears, sites should provide customers with adequate information about the company before requesting personal details from them. And there should be a clear, compelling reason why the information is being collected.

6. Ignore requests for help.
Businesses need to think about how customers would logically request help or service. On some sites, they can't even find the help section.
In other instances, companies don't acknowledge e-mails, advise customers whether to wait for a response, or provide a time frame for a reply.
You need to set clear expectations as to what the users need to do. Don't make them guess what to do next, or if they need to do anything.

7. Give 'em plenty of razzle-dazzle.
Experts say too many businesses are still setting up sites as showcases for Webmasters instead of customer-oriented sales tools. Downloading issues and a lack of design simplicity too often get in the way, as sites become cluttered with unneeded graphics, animations and other bells and whistles.
Sometimes when I see one of those opening Flash animations, I just shake my head said a web expert. He noted that Internet users increasingly are purchasing broadband service to get faster access to the information they need -- not to spend their time looking at show-off elements that hog bandwidth.

8. Provide no contact information.
It really bothers me when I can't find a phone number for a company on its Web site," an other person said. His frustration was fueled recently when he tried to contact an unfamiliar bank to report that he had found someone's lost ATM card. The bank site listed no contact phone number and provided only a form for him to fill out if he wished to send correspondence.
Companies' sites must give customers fast ways to contact them when they are not near a computer. "Don't make people fill out long forms to send comments or questions. Make it easy as possible for them to contact you in various ways -- phone, e-mail, fax, everything."

9. Fill your site with pop-up ads.
Many companies make the mistake of treating Web customers like channel-surfing television viewers. Pop-up ads are inserted to randomly attract some type of interest -- much like television commercials -- yet, in most cases, customers do not come to sites at random.
This makes pop-ups not only annoying, but also ineffective at grabbing Web users.
They've come to the site with a specific goal in mind. They're not like someone sitting in front of a television, looking for something to watch.
Many sites mistakenly load too many banner ads onto their home pages for high visibility. Many of those ads would be more effective if placed on internal pages, where they can be seen by people who have deliberately clicked to see certain information.

10. Don't worry about search quality.
If you're going to have a search engine, make sure it's helping customers find what they're looking for, instead of sending them elsewhere.
Recent studies have shown that 70 percent of Web browsers use the search engines on e-commerce sites, yet there is a less than 30 percent success rate in finding what they are looking for. This is due in part to badly conceived or out-of-date search engines that come up empty, even in cases where the item actually exists on the site.
In many cases, just having clear navigation starting with the home page is less chancy than depending on a search engine to keep customers on a site.
A lot of sites are more focused on destinations rather than navigation, but the Web is a navigation medium. If the home page is not a site map, chances are good that people are not going to find what they're looking for.

20 Tips to Minimize Shopping Cart Abandonment

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 14:27:41 -0600

20 Tips to Minimize Shopping Cart Abandonment
How many steps are in your checkout process? This is usually what most people focus on. Our clients' checkout processes range from one to seven steps. We've discovered the number of steps is not all that critical. One client was able to bring the checkout process from six steps down to one; we found no correlation between reduction of steps and reduction in abandonment rate. Once people found what they came for, they found the time to check out no matter how many steps were involved.  Should you change the number of steps? Yes! But if you don't have an inexpensive and simple way to test, it may not be worth the time, effort, and expense of reducing the number of steps in the checkout process. Try some of these other ideas first. 
Include a progress indicator on each checkout page. No matter how many steps in your checkout process, let customers know where they are in the process. Number the steps, and label the task clearly for each step. Give shoppers an opportunity to review what they did in previous steps and a way to return to their current step if they go back. 
Provide a link back to the product. When an item is placed in the shopping cart, include a link back to the product page. Shoppers can then easily jump back to make sure they selected the right item. I was shopping for a printer and wanted to know how many and what color cartridges come with the printer. It wasn't obvious where I should click to review the product description. I had to navigate using my back button until I got my questions answered. 
Add pictures inside the basket. Placing a thumbnail image of the product increases conversions by as much as 10 percent. 
Provide shipping costs early in the process. If possible, provide an estimated cost while visitors browse. They want to buy but want the answers to all their questions when they want them. Total cost is one of those critical questions. Also, if the shipping information is the same as the billing information, include a checkbox to automatically fill in the same information. 
Show stock availability on the product page. Shoppers should not have to wait until checkout to learn if a product is out of stock. Also, give an estimated delivery date. Deal with the "I want it now" mentality, and let them know when they should expect to get their products. 
Make it obvious what to click next. Include a prominent "Next Step" or "Continue With Checkout" button on each checkout page. Make the button you want them to click next the most obvious. One top 50 e-tailer mistakenly placed its "remove from cart" and checkout buttons next to each other. Neither stood out. Many people ended up clearing their carts. When they went to check out, they found nothing in there and immediately abandoned the site in frustration. 
Make editing the shopping cart easy. It should be simple to change quantities or options, or delete an item from the shopping cart. If a product comes in multiple sizes or colors, make it easy to select or change values in the shopping cart. 
Make it your fault. If information is missing or filled out incorrectly during checkout, give a meaningful error message that's obvious to see. It should clearly tell visitors what needs to be corrected. The tone should be the system was unable to understand what was entered, not the visitor made a foolish mistake. 
Show them you're a real entity. People's concerns start to flare up during checkout. Let them know you're a real company by giving full contact info during the checkout process.

Offer the option to call. If visitors have a problem during checkout or feel uncomfortable using a credit card online, offer a phone number. Devote a dedicated toll-free line for tracking purposes. Also offer a printable order form so customers can complete orders by fax, if they prefer. 
Make the most of cross- and up-sell. It isn't always effective to up-sell on a product detail page; sometimes this is best left for checkout. Recommend items based on what's already in the shopping cart. Try interstitials or pop-ups to capture up- and cross-sell options.

It's about new customers. Make the checkout process even easier for new visitors than registered customers. Acquiring new customers is much harder than selling to the loyal ones. Registered customers will find a way to sign in (if they don't have a cookie). Don't position registration and log-in as an obstacle between new visitors and checkout. 
Add third-party reinforcement messages. VeriSign, Better Business Bureau, and credit card logos either greatly boost conversions or at least keep them neutral. In other words, they can't hurt.  
Offer a price guarantee. If you sell name-brand products and your store is price competitive or truly provides better value, try a "Lowest Price Match" guarantee. 
Provide multiple payment options. Allow visitors to pay by credit card, check, PayPal, or any other means you can. 
Reassure customers at the right time and place. How often is critical information buried in tiny type at the bottom of the page or deep within a site? In a brick-and-mortar store, it's fairly easy to find product warranty information. Offer customers this same opportunity online, at the point of action (POA). Link to product warranties, shipping costs, return policies, testimonials, even optional extended service plans. Or, provide the information in a pop-up. Make the best use of your assurances at the right time and place. 
Track your mistakes. Develop a system to keep you notified of errors during the checkout process. One client noticed a portion of his visitors had cookies turned off. He developed a cookie-free checkout option. His conversion rate and sales jumped. 
Use an exit survey. If a visitor abandons checkout, offer an incentive to complete an exit survey. She may tell you why she didn't complete that order.

Now you have 20 different ways to reduce shopping cart abandonment. Every site is different, of course, with its own environment and issues. Don't obsess about abandonment rates. Many people use shopping carts as place holders for considering items. Help those who want to check out and may have questions, doubts, or obstacles holding them back.

The 7 Virtues of e-Commerce

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 14:09:16 -0600

The 7 Virtues of e-Commerce

Tell people everything up front. To not establish that trust is ridiculous.
Experts say the quality of experience customers have on your Web site means everything. A bad experience will send them clicking elsewhere, but a good one could keep them coming back for years to come.
From exclusive interviews with industry analysts, seven "e-commerce virtues" have been identified -- proven methods for encouraging longer visits -- and, more importantly, lasting loyalty.
1. Speed
Don't keep them too long. It may sound contradictory, but experts say it's one of the cardinal rules for maintaining long-term customer loyalty. In many instances, if a customer is spending a lot of time on a visit to your site, it could be a sign that something is wrong.
"It could mean the site is confusing to navigate and people spend too much time just trying to find what they’re looking for," said Paul Ritter, program manager of e-commerce strategies at the Yankee Group "Metrics such as average conversion rates, average purchase amount and percentage of repeat buyers are better evaluators of success in e-commerce."
Steve Telleen, vice president of the Web Site ScoreCard service at Giga Information Group, said minutes or hours spent may be a good measure for a vanity site, but longer stays are rarely a good objective for a business trying to serve time-strapped customers.
"Put another way -- if you are a dry cleaner, is your best strategy to try to keep people hanging around your store in hopes that they will buy the lint roller on your counter, or is it to get them in and out as easily and quickly as possible?" Telleen said.
"Most Web sites are like the dry cleaning shop," he noted. "It is not the length of time the customer stays, but whether they come back the next time they need the major product or service you have to offer."
2. Understanding
Be consistent, helpful and reliable. One key to keeping people on your site is making them feel you are on their side. The site must answer questions or concerns that shoppers might have about the products or services listed, or they will head to one of many other similar sites to get answers.
"You've got to do things to make customers feel that you're making their lives easier," said Adam Sarner, a CRM analyst with Gartner Group.
Sarner said simple things like providing usage tips, comparisons of products, warranty and repair information will often encourage customers to stick around and buy products they've previously just been browsing.
3. Knowledge
Create a customer memory. Once you've established a rapport with a customer, the Web site can serve that customer better on the next visit using stored information from previous purchases, Sarner said.
That stored information can save the customer time and personalize the experience.
4. Initiative
Use relevant cross-selling pitches. A corollary to personalizing the experience -- and increasing shopping trips -- is offering targeted pitches for additional products that a customer would logically be interested in after purchasing an item.
"If I just bought a camcorder from you, you bet I'm probably going to be interested in a tripod or battery pack," Sarner said.
5. Candor
Prevent shopping cart abandonment. Unlike the brick-and-mortar world, where jumping from store to store costs customers time and gasoline, clicking elsewhere on the Web carries little or no cost to the shopper. For that reason, experts say shopping cart abandonment -- where users decide not to follow through after beginning the purchase process -- remains a rampant problem.
Sarner said the primary reason for abandonment is that Web sites fail to answer the basic questions that a buyer would want answered in the offline world. Before committing to a purchase and offering their credit card numbers, online buyers need to know about such things as sales tax, shipping costs, delivery times, availability and return policies.
"Don't make it a game, where it looks like you're trying to hide something that could break the deal," Sarner said. "Tell people everything up front. To not establish that trust is ridiculous."
He said the best testament to the effectiveness of this approach is the success of HYPERLINK in Amazon.
6. Responsiveness
Answer questions NOW. Experts say Web sites must have effective "panic button" options to answer questions that might arise in the midst of the buying process; otherwise, users will leave for another site that doesn't leave them wondering.
Whether it's an instant e-mail response or a phone help line with a human voice at the other end, make sure there's no delay in addressing customers' questions.
"If you are going to make them wait two or three days for an e-mail response, you've lost the customers," said Sarner. "By the time you've gotten back with them, they've already moved on to something else."
7. Generosity
Give them incentives to keep shopping. Experts point out the value of giving customers bonuses for buying more things on one trip -- for example, free shipping, extra discounts, cash bonuses or free gifts if purchases reach a certain level.
Sarner said Gartner research indicates such offers need to be carefully targeted. For example, one company that offered a free MP3 player as a bonus got a good response from Generation-X buyers, but the offer didn't encourage significantly more purchases from other segments of Web shoppers.
The same study found that offers for free shipping and bonus points were more effective -- and less expensive for the company than MP3 players -- when presented to travel and executive-level buyers.

Are your Online Customers Surf Bored ?

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 12:10:30 -0600

Are your Online Customers Surf Bored ?
Online consumers can be incredibly impatient; after all, if time wasn't critical, they'd be cruising the mall rather than surfing the Net. When building and developing your site take extra measures to create a quick and efficient shopping experience — your customers are entrusting their valuable time to you.
To prevent impatient customers from leaving your e-business before checking out your offerings, here are some methods for attaining speed on your site and thereby eliminating shopper boredom:
• Make sure page loads (text, images and interactive elements) are quick. Compress all files (while still maintaining quality and integrity) and only include pertinent content.
• Site searching tools should not only be fast, but effective too. Use as many keywords as possible for each item so results have high relevancy.
• Store repeat customer information to efficiently expedite transactions and order processing.
• E-mail inquiries from customers should generate an immediate autoresponse and a timely follow-up.
• Include a self-help resource among your online support options so visitors can find information on their own, rather than waiting for telephone or e-mail service.
• Delivery choices should include overnight express.
• A waiting customer's tapping foot can easily turn into a clicking mouse — right off your pages. A speedy and engaging Web site can help retain customers and ensure their satisfaction.

21 Suggestions for Creating Excellent Web-pages

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 11:54:35 -0600

21 Suggestions for Creating Excellent Web-pages
1. Before you produce a web-site, see what others have done. Really get a feel for the way the Web operates.
2. Learn how Search Engines work, specially the importance of 'Title', 'Meta description' and 'Meta keyword' tags.
3. Define your audience, purpose and objectives.
4. Almost any possible subject can be a starting point.
5. Each page should be a logical entry point for a visitor from the Web.
6. Every page should have its own carefully constructed title, description and keyword tags.
7. Learn and use journalistic writing techniques to make readable pages.
8. Constantly look out for ideas, sources and quotes; and file them away.
9. Use a simple style of writing to allow for 2nd-language English speakers, unless your target readership is a more
restricted group
10. Be sensitive to readers from other countries and cultures.
11. Constantly have in mind the target reader, and how he or she will understand, misunderstand, or react to every word on your page. Assume they have zero subject matter knowledge and background.
12. Avoid beloved jargon.
13. Don't be preachy. Do be light-hearted and humorous.
14. Remember you don't have a captive audience - they can leave at the click of a mouse.
15. Be relevant to where readers are at the moment, not where you would like them to be. Meet them and identify with them at that point of their 'felt needs'.
16. Use lots of 'white space', short paragraphs, subheadings, and if possible small graphics and photos - all the techniques of good magazine and DTP layout.
17. Any single page should be fairly short. Break up long subjects.
18. Check, shorten, rewrite, check, change, revise; again and again, with much input and comment from others. Put yourself in the place of someone who has never seen your site before. Is it logical to move through? Are links described enticingly? Are concepts explained?
19. Revise your titles, descriptions and keywords, as you learn more the way people search, and what terms they use.
20. Consider using a 'form' for readers to contact you - not everyone can use a 'mailto' email link.
21. Make sure your pages work and load quickly for someone with a slow Internet link, or an old browser. Ensure that your pages are readable, usable, and navigable with your browser graphics switched off.

The challenges of designing a Web-Site

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 11:33:06 -0600

The challenges of designing a Web-Site
In order to illustrate the challenges of Web Sites in general, the excerpts and quotes below from the internationally renowned Web usability expert Jakob Nielsen are provided as background information:
“Today Web site designers spend more time designing for themselves than for the people who visit their sites. The result is that an alarming number of Web surfers have trouble finding their way around sites, finding the products they want to buy or completing a purchase of a product they've found.
The strength of the Web is the interactivity that I can do what I want to. I can go and move and be in control. We often use this phrase "user experience." Because you as a user can decide what to get, you can pull from this vast masses of material, what you want. If you play to that strength, that interactivity strength of the Web, if you make it really easy for people to move around and do what they want to do, then the Web sites or the Web in its entirety gets to feel engaging.
Then there's the response-time problem. It's just got to be very fast. And fastness equals pleasant on the Web. It just makes you feel in control and empowered…that's really important to usability.
Forget about the technological bells and whistles, and make it simple rather than make it fancy, because there are very few Web sites where it's in fact a goal to show off the fancy technology. The average Web site, people don't go there to see how good (the page designers) are at Java, they just go there to get something done. So many times users tell in studies, "I don't want to spend time learning your Web site. I just want to get in and out and get it done (and) over with."
The big difference in our statistics between the best-selling and the less-selling Web sites is in terms of disclosure of shipping information, both in terms of telling you how much shipping and handling will be as opposed to trying to trick people. If you tell them up front, they're going to think you're a more honest company to do business with; this is also true with respect to delivery time.
The reason Web Sites became the biggest Web sites is by having good usability groups and are very much attuned to complete simplicity.”