There was a time when web users were patient folks who spent plenty of quality time searching for the product or service they needed.  They would explore a website with numerous clicks, dutifully digging through the content to find what they were looking for.

Not so in 2008!  The latest web usability findings show that web users have become quite savvy and hard-nosed when it comes to looking for services or products via search engines.  According to the 2008 report into web habits by usability guru Jakob Nielsen, “In 2004, about 40% of people visited a homepage and then drilled down to where they wanted to go and 60% use a deep link that took them directly to a page or destination inside a site. In 2008, only 25% of people travel via a homepage…People want sites to get to the point, they have very little patience,” he said.

Nowadays, when web users can’t find what they are looking for immediately on a web page, they bounce away to the next search result.  They know what they want and have no patience for obscurity or endless widgets and applications on a website.  They wants sites and landing pages that are usable, clear and efficient.

Here are some ways that you can ensure a guranteed conversion on your site, by providing your visitors exactly what they’re looking for when they want it!

• Have a clear and strong call to action on every page.  No matter where a visitor finds themselves within your website, you want to offer them a way to make contact, or a purchase, wherever they are.  By ensuring that they have a method of taking action available to them, whether it’s requesting a quick quote, making a purchase or contacting you for more information, you are giving them a clear and immediate choice.
• Treat every page on your website as a potential landing page.  A visitor may land on your homepage or a page four levels deep into the site.  By making sure that every page offers clear links with strong keywords and appropriate calls to action, you catch the attention of your visitor and keep them on your site.  You cannot guarantee what page they will enter your site on, and by providing every possible opportunity for them to take an appropriate action, you can nab potential clients and turn their clicks into conversions.
• Optimize your site with mobile technology in mind.  Mobile users have enough gewgaws, apps and widgets to contend with on their mobile devices without having to wade through even more on your website.  Try to keep extraneous features on your site to a minimum and only offer what your target audience actually needs.  Optimize your site for mobile devices where possible, and if you’re able, design a version of your site that’s targeted for mobile use, to ensure you capture as many on-the-go mobile users as possible. 

Your visitors are zooming through the web, looking for your goods and services–catch them on the fly with clear calls to action, concise and well-optimized web pages and usable and efficent site design with mobile technology in mind.  Do this and higher conversions are guaranteed!

This entry was posted on Monday, November 3rd, 2008 at 11:58 am and is filed under General, Usability & Conversions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.