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Andy Hayes is going to talk to us about design and usability, making sure people don’t hate our blogs. I’m being told that we can find the slides at TravelOnlinePartners.com/typea
He wants to know how many of us think our blogs suck.
Our goal: To give you tools and information to make your website or blog a better experience for your readers. A better experience means more buyers. Simple, eh? We don’t have to write everything down. (Maybe this doesn’t count for me.)
What is usability?
When we face a difficult problem, we usually grasp the easiest thing in sight. In this case, it usually means trying to get more traffic. Adwords, Facebook ads, brochures, bribery…
We’re told to tweet this: A crappy website + more traffic = a crappy, more expensive website, via @andrewghayes #typeacon
Usability is making it easier for your readers to do what you want them to do. The first question is the most important: What do you want your customers to do on your website? Leave a comment? Buy something?
Attention Span
You have only THREE seconds to convince someone to stay on your website. Yowzers!
We all do this. We quickly scan and if we don’t think our question will be answered, we click back.
The problem: most blogs are full of “crap.”
Examples of crap:
- Social networks that you don’t even use
- Whirling useless widgets
- Too many ads
- Off-topic badges
- Unclear, unlabeled content
- Too many categories
Simple fixes:
- A clear tagline. (Ex: stress-free travel advice for families)
- Less choice. Slimmer menus, better balance of photos/videos/text
- Get to the point. No fluff, start with the juicy details.
Working on your tagline will affect your bounce rate. You don’t need to include keywords in your tagline if you’re putting them in your more important page elements like your h1, h2 tags.
Ideal Visitors
Who is your ideal visitor? Write a persona; describe your ideal reader. If you haven’t done it, do this. Write one page about this person, and write all of your content for. You can give this person a name. It’s not about demographics. Talk about how this person would self-describe – their life, their interests, and how they see the world. This will help you structure your categories, write your posts, etc.
Common Mistakes
- Important things hidden in menus or below the fold. If people have to scroll, they might not see it.
- Not using your customer’s language. Talk to them like you would if they were at your desk, not like you’re an automaton or sleazy brochure.
- Unorganized sites – this is often a result of clutter and too much fluff.
Andy likes to have half a photo visible above the fold so people know they have to scroll to see the rest of the picture.
- Fonts that are too small (14 px is minimum)
- Not warning people (with visual or text clues) when they will leave your site by clicking
- Every page must answer:
- What is this place?
- Can you solve my problem?
- Can I trust you?
- What is the next step?
(If I just broke my sidebars or anything by increasing my font size, please leave me a comment. I’m doing this on the fly during the session!)
Getting Feedback and Measuring
Fact: Nearly 80% of your website’s problems can be solved by asking for feedback. Everyone has a different opinion.
You can do surveys, focus groups, or testing. The least expensive (surveys) have the least specificity. Website testing is expensive, but it’s very specific.
Regardless of how you get feedback, do not over-engineer the process; keeping it simple is easiest. Be sure you know who you are asking, so you can adjust the results. (Web newbies vs. regular users, first time travelers vs. regular travelers, etc.)
You can also use “automated” tools to try to get website feedback:
- whatusersdo.com
- feedbackarmy.com
- fiverr.com
- userfly.com
- fivesecondtest.com
Don’t forget to have measuring tools in place. Google Analytics is a no-brainer, and it’s free!
Don’t look at stats daily, but weekly or monthly. And only track figures you would make a decision on. Good ones include:
- Referring sites (who is sending you traffic?)
- Keywords (what do you rank for in Google?)
- Popular content (what’s hot that you should do more of?)
Interesting. My most popular content via Google Analytics as of today: Our Wild Kratts Dance Party, a deleted post, A Toddler with an Irrational Fear of Flies, and My Laser Hair Removal Adventure at Albany Laser Spa, Part 1.
Tips if You Sell Stuff
- Keep it fresh.
- Highlight accreditations, affiliations, and explain why your customer cares. (“We’re a part of the Asheville Parents Association, so we’re in touch with local needs and issues.”) Prove you are not a spammer.
- Testimonials. As they say, the proof is in the pudding.
- Trust indicators. Payment gateway buttons, eTrust, etc. So important because it’s hard to gauge trust.
- Get specific. (Not just “we can get you discounts,” but “the bottle of wine at dinner is on us.”)
- Not-so-secret marketing weapon: pictures of people. Pictures of YOU!
- If you have a lot of content and packages/services, try asking people to self-identify. (“Click here for family packages, couples go here, and call us if you need a custom package.”)
In Summary
- Your website/blog is the only Internet-based tool you have full control of.
- It is where “the rubber meets the road,” so it’s important to get it right.
- Oh, and there’s no perfect website. (Sorry.)
I am liveblogging as a volunteer for the Type-A Parent Conference, and an edited version of this post will be available directly on Type-A Parent.
That’s me: Christina Gleason. I’m a writer, editor, and disability advocate. I'm a multiply disabled autistic lady doing my best in this world built for abled people. I’m a geek for grammar, fantasy, and casual gaming. I hate vegetables. I cannot reliably speak, so I’ll happily conduct business over email or messaging instead.
