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This is the heart and soul of web success - usability is a key
factor in converting visitors into sales. What is usability? It's
simple, making your website give your customers what they want, fast
'n easy.
Ease of Navigation
Once they are on your site, can they find the info they want
quickly and easily? And not just from the home page, many viewers
may first land on a page deeper in your site (not your home
page) - make sure it is readily
apparent where they are and what else you have to offer.
Design
There are a lot of elements here:
1. Can they read the copy? Is it grey letters on a black background,
it may look "neat" but make it hard to read. Watch out for wacky
graphics as well - distracting animations, sound, and bells and
whistles you really don't need.
2, Are the pictures any good? Your customers can't physically fondle
the merchandise, so a good picture or graphic goes a long way to
making a sale. May be the most important thing you can do.
3. You get one crack at a good first impression - are you impressed?
4. Watch out for tremendously stylish websites with lots of great
graphics - don't ever choose style over substance. But then again, I
make a great living because most do.
Content
The Internet is all about 3 things:
Information
Communication
Entertainment
While most sites are not built to be entertaining, with good
usability considerations, they should not be boring. Contact info
such as a phone number or email address should be readily viewable
on every page. Content is king - give the customer the compelling
info they need to make a buying decision.
Usability is important to your success, look at your
site from the customers view!
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