Don't take it from me. Take it from the hundreds of Canadians I have spoken to in every corner of the country, young and old, urban and rural, from every walk of life you can imagine. In more than a decade of leading focus groups, surveys and interviews on the topic of websites, I have gotten an earful from Canadians on what they want to see in a website. I’ve heard even more about what they don’t want to see.
Here then are the top three "dos" and "don'ts" distilled from all of this research. There are valuable lessons here for your organization's website, whether yours is a government department, small business or national association.
Top Three Things Your Visitors Want to See:
Themselves
The ideal website presents a mirror to its intended audience. When visitors arrive at your site, they are hoping to see themselves, their issues and their priorities immediately reflected. That way, the main page sends an immediate message to your audience: You've come to the right place; this website is for you.
Look at your main page critically and assess to what extent it reflects your target audience as opposed to your organization. The photos, the headlines, the copy – all need to speak to them and about how you can address their challenges and opportunities.Reassurance
If there is a single trend I have witnessed emerge since the mid-1990s it is the increasing importance of credibility and security on the web. Whether simply searching for reliable information or wanting to make an on-line transaction in a secure way, consumers and business people increasingly want to be reassured that they are dealing with a trustworthy organization and site. What on your website is designed to put them at ease? What do you say and show to reassure them that your organization is credible, knowledgeable and trusted by others? Richness
The bar, as so many of our clients have discovered, is being moved up continually. While loads of text and the odd picture used to be enough, users expect more today. Much more. Video, sound and truly interactive elements that engage the audience and provide a customized experience are increasingly the norm. This is the kind of rich content that draws users in and keeps them coming back. Whether you like it or not, your site is being compared to the speed of Google, the sound of iTunes, the moving pictures of YouTube and the customization of Amazon. Audiences are earned in any medium and perhaps nowhere more so than on the web.
Top Three Things Your Visitors Don't Want to See:
Outdated Material
The bar keeps rising on this point as well. I still remember the good old days, when information a month old was considered current. Today, that best before date has shrunk to a matter of days or, in some instances, hours and minutes. Blame CNN but our expectations of the sites we visit have risen and we find that people increasingly assess sites based on how dynamic they are and how fresh they are. Any organization that is not in a position to update its site at least on a weekly basis risks losing the interest and confidence of its audience. Start each week by asking yourself: “What will we change on our website this week?” On-line Brochures
Thanks to leading commercial sites (think Amazon or Expedia) and government sites (i.e. Canada Revenue Agency or Ontario Parks), users expect to do much more than read on your site. They want to download, shop, reserve, register, pay, update, connect, contribute and provide feedback – the list goes on. They use the web to get things done. Review your site from the perspective of your audience and make a list of all the things they can get done on your site. The longer the list of verbs you generate, the better.
Clutter
It's hard to wade through the thousands of messages and pieces of information we come across each day. Our eyes and our brains get tired and we all develop ways to eliminate clutter and seek out clarity. The impact of this reality on your website's traffic could be devastating. Users are always drawn to sites that are visually organized in a clear and consistent way. Loud colours, tiny fonts, inconsistent use of columns and long stretches of text are a perfect invitation to click on the “back” button and seek out more pleasant surroundings. The KISS principle should be the bedrock of your website. Let the page breathe, make it look and feel organized and let visitors under to dig down to the detail that meets their needs.
Experience Solutions
