According to Nielsen Online, UK has approximately 48.8 million users of the Internet as of June 2009 data. This represents 79.8% of the entire population. Thus, targeting this huge pool of consumers from a single website is a golden opportunity.
Can You Afford to Miss the Online Marketing Buzz?
A website is not a McDonald’s hamburger that every visitor is tempted to purchase. It is possible to get traffic via search engine optimisation, social media networking and pay per click methods. However, the real question is how to convert those clicks into pounds?
Website conversion rate is the number of potential customers that actually perform a desired action. The resulting action is dependent on the purpose of the website. For e-commerce website, it is a purchase; for lead generation website conversion means user registration and for a content website conversion is signing up for newsletters or a forum. Also, the conversion rate varies for different types of websites.
For any online company, the conversion rate directly corresponds to cash inflow.
Usability is the Route to Prosperity
The next big thing is not essentially the new big thing. Neither Google nor Facebook were pioneers in their specific domains. Yet, Google searched better and Facebook connected better than the rest. Thus, serving an old recipe with a new and better taste also works in the online marketing business.
In the words of internationally renowned usability guru Jacob Nielsen, there is only one mantra to convert clicks to pounds. That is “easy, by being better.” In one of his articles published on the BBC website, Nielsen expressed concern over online companies neglecting the consumer usability factor. He said that online companies are in a rush to upload the maximum number of pages over the Internet. The Web2.0 hype has taken the world by storm. Companies are engaged in producing websites which are, in the words of Nielsen, “glossy but useless.”
What is Usability?
Simply put, usability refers to the consumer’s experience on visiting a website. The usability pattern is defined by the website design. The home page of a website is like your digital business card. It has to be attractive, so that it can grab the user’s attention. According to Nielsen, a user spends only 30 seconds to review a home page. When the purpose is to convert clicks into pounds, an attractive home page is just the beginning.
The website design should foster simplicity and usability and provide the most important information in a straightforward manner. A good design corresponds to easy navigation, effective intra-site search and jargon-free text. Excessive garnishing of the website using splash intros or animated videos can chase away users.
To Ensure the Maximum Usability, One Should Also Consider the Following Points in the Website Development Phase:
- Browser-friendly design
- Cross-browser compatibility
- Contact information of the underlying company
- Clearly defined return policy for e-commerce websites
- Different payment options
Online companies should use multi-variant testing during the development phase. It is a technique to test hypotheses on complex website usability issues. Google also offers website optimizer to help companies with multi-variant testing whilst using their Adwords service.
For advice on how to improve your conversion rate, get in touch with us today.
