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Hub You - Planning A Usable Website: A Three-step Guide
Lost business does not necessarily mean lost forever. Many salespeople unfortunately neglect this lucrative source of new business. I say new because, if you learn to treat these past customers as brand new prospects, you may just regain their business. There are a number of reasons why customers leave you. Some of them are:1. They were wooed away by a competitor offering better prices, service or some outlandish promises.2. Management in the organization has changed, and they are not aware of the strengths of your servicesor products. This information was most likely not passed on to them by their predecessor.3. You or your organization failed to deliver as promised.4. You or your organization let trust and/or respect erode in the relationship.5. There is s
- Identify the different groups of people who'll use your website
- Work out what you want each of these groups to achieve on your website
- Identify the information you'll need to provide for them to achieve this (and in what order)
- Work out what might put them off achieving this
- Identify the information you'll need to provide to prevent them being put off
From this, you'll be able to create a list of website pages and a rough idea of how they might flow together. You'll then be able to work out exactly what pages to include on the website and how to group these pages
So what is a business strategic plan? Basically it is a combination of what you want your business to be and a roadmap to get. Here’s how to get your company focused, stable and profitable.1. Company Vision: Start off by deciding your company’s vision. What do you want your business to be to your clients, your competitors and your staff? Describe what you business will look like, what it will sell and to whom.2. Core Values: What will be your company’s core values? How do you want your company to operate in its market? What do want your company to be recognized by? For example The Body Shop built it’s empire on quality, low cost body products, ethically produced from natural products, without testing on animals and sold in basic containers.3. Company Obj
Clicking away from your website has never been easier for Internet users. There are about 35 million websites competing with yours on the Internet (source: http://www.zooknic.com/Domains/counts.html). Search engine results are becoming better and better and Internet connection speeds faster and faster - finding one of your competitors' websites is now very quick and very easy.
1. Work out your site visitors' immediate needs
Your website has to provide information that fulfils the immediate needs of your site visitors. This is the fundamental principle behind usable website design, so let's repeat it one more time: Your website has to provide information that fulfils the immediate needs of your site visitors.
OK, now we've got that straight, we come up against a problem: Your goals for the website are probably different to the immediate needs of your site visitors. Oh dear.
Let's illustrate this problem, and its solution, with the example of a web design company's website. Their immediate goal is to get visitors to contact them and ultimately commission them to do some web development work. Their site visitors are probably interested in getting web development work done (if not, why are they on this website?), but it's unlikely that this is their immediate need when they arrive at the website.
The immediate needs of the site visitors' are probably to answer questions like:
- Can I trust them?
- Are they any good at what they do?
- Will they get the job done?
Before the website begins to sell to its site visitors, it has to answer their questions and put their fears to rest. This is fundamentally important, so one more time: Before the website begins to sell to its site visitors, it has to answer their questions and put their fears to rest.
In the case of this web design company, they could provide a portfolio, client testimonials etc. Can you think of any other information they should offer?
2. Create an information flow
Now we've worked out what our site visitors' immediate needs are, we need to create an information flow, a path (or paths) that your site visitors will traverse whilst on your website. The path(s) will initially address their concerns and needs and will gradually take them towards completing your goal for them. To create this plan we'll need to:
- Identify the different groups of people who'll use your website
- Work out what you want each of these groups to achieve on your website
- Identify the information you'll need to provide for them to achieve this (and in what order)
- Work out what might put them off achieving this
- Identify the information you'll need to provide to prevent them being put off
From this, you'll be able to create a list of website pages and a rough idea of how they might flow together. You'll then be able to work out exactly what pages to include on the website and how to group these pages
Being appropriately dressed is essential in making good impressions in the business and corporate worlds. A polished image is important in business survival and can be an important factor in career advancement. Periodically, it is a good idea to take a look at your business attire and the image you are presenting. Is it the image you want to project?1. No matter what your age your business attire should be as professional as possible. Avoid clothes that are the latest fad and choose a more conservative look.2. Wear clothes that are comfortable, that do not itch, ride up or bind. If your clothes are irritating, having to tug, pull or scratch is not something you will want to do in public. Dress to suit your personality while keeping in mind professional standards. When you feel comforta
1. Work out your site visitors' immediate needs
Your website has to provide information that fulfils the immediate needs of your site visitors. This is the fundamental principle behind usable website design, so let's repeat it one more time: Your website has to provide information that fulfils the immediate needs of your site visitors.
OK, now we've got that straight, we come up against a problem: Your goals for the website are probably different to the immediate needs of your site visitors. Oh dear.
Let's illustrate this problem, and its solution, with the example of a web design company's website. Their immediate goal is to get visitors to contact them and ultimately commission them to do some web development work. Their site visitors are probably interested in getting web development work done (if not, why are they on this website?), but it's unlikely that this is their immediate need when they arrive at the website.
The immediate needs of the site visitors' are probably to answer questions like:
- Can I trust them?
- Are they any good at what they do?
- Will they get the job done?
Before the website begins to sell to its site visitors, it has to answer their questions and put their fears to rest. This is fundamentally important, so one more time: Before the website begins to sell to its site visitors, it has to answer their questions and put their fears to rest.
In the case of this web design company, they could provide a portfolio, client testimonials etc. Can you think of any other information they should offer?
2. Create an information flow
Now we've worked out what our site visitors' immediate needs are, we need to create an information flow, a path (or paths) that your site visitors will traverse whilst on your website. The path(s) will initially address their concerns and needs and will gradually take them towards completing your goal for them. To create this plan we'll need to:
- Identify the different groups of people who'll use your website
- Work out what you want each of these groups to achieve on your website
- Identify the information you'll need to provide for them to achieve this (and in what order)
- Work out what might put them off achieving this
- Identify the information you'll need to provide to prevent them being put off
From this, you'll be able to create a list of website pages and a rough idea of how they might flow together. You'll then be able to work out exactly what pages to include on the website and how to group these pages
I’m worried about my resume. I love being a stay at home mom, but eventually I’d like to get back into the business world to make money again. What should I do to keep my resume from having a big empty gap in it? Signed – Cathy CareerDear Cathy, Don’t fret. There are plenty of ways to keep your resume hopping. Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking.1. Volunteer. Not many people are aware of this, but, if you live in the United States, there’s a Presidential Volunteer Service Award that you can earn for the time you are spending volunteering in your kids’ activities. Whether you’re helping at school or through Scouts, you can earn this award. Although it isn’t business related, it does show an employer that you are motivated and dedicated.Or you can find le
The immediate needs of the site visitors' are probably to answer questions like:
- Can I trust them?
- Are they any good at what they do?
- Will they get the job done?
Before the website begins to sell to its site visitors, it has to answer their questions and put their fears to rest. This is fundamentally important, so one more time: Before the website begins to sell to its site visitors, it has to answer their questions and put their fears to rest.
In the case of this web design company, they could provide a portfolio, client testimonials etc. Can you think of any other information they should offer?
2. Create an information flow
Now we've worked out what our site visitors' immediate needs are, we need to create an information flow, a path (or paths) that your site visitors will traverse whilst on your website. The path(s) will initially address their concerns and needs and will gradually take them towards completing your goal for them. To create this plan we'll need to:
- Identify the different groups of people who'll use your website
- Work out what you want each of these groups to achieve on your website
- Identify the information you'll need to provide for them to achieve this (and in what order)
- Work out what might put them off achieving this
- Identify the information you'll need to provide to prevent them being put off
From this, you'll be able to create a list of website pages and a rough idea of how they might flow together. You'll then be able to work out exactly what pages to include on the website and how to group these pages
I was chatting with a couple of friends, all of us are either copy writers or graphic designers…or both….in the advertising industry, so, naturally, our conversations leaned towards the topic. This one particular friend who works in an American advertising firm is now an Art Director, so, needless to say, he considers himself a notch higher than us mere freelancers and employees. After all, he is the one person who decides on the direction of a whole advertising campaign. He is also in-charge of a couple of large International brands of products. And during this conversation, he told me about this story that inspired me. He says that branding is so important to a product that it can either make or break a product…or even the company.For instance, he was trying to come up with something unique
In the case of this web design company, they could provide a portfolio, client testimonials etc. Can you think of any other information they should offer?
2. Create an information flow
Now we've worked out what our site visitors' immediate needs are, we need to create an information flow, a path (or paths) that your site visitors will traverse whilst on your website. The path(s) will initially address their concerns and needs and will gradually take them towards completing your goal for them. To create this plan we'll need to:
- Identify the different groups of people who'll use your website
- Work out what you want each of these groups to achieve on your website
- Identify the information you'll need to provide for them to achieve this (and in what order)
- Work out what might put them off achieving this
- Identify the information you'll need to provide to prevent them being put off
From this, you'll be able to create a list of website pages and a rough idea of how they might flow together. You'll then be able to work out exactly what pages to include on the website and how to group these pages
Do you want me to tell you the truth or just what you want to hear?“In your opinion how much would you need to earn to be able to do all the things you really want to do in life, try to be realistic?You may think this is a bizarre opening line to ask, you may be wondering why anyone would want anything but the truth. Fact is many people know the truth when they hear it or read it (or so they believe) but do they?When we write copy for marketing purposes, which if you think about it is almost everything that goes into print. We are attempting to persuade someone of our point of view. Internet marketing is the new playground of prose.GET Under the conscious radar of your prospect.This offers some great opportunities for those willing to spend a little time knowing how
- Identify the different groups of people who'll use your website
- Work out what you want each of these groups to achieve on your website
- Identify the information you'll need to provide for them to achieve this (and in what order)
- Work out what might put them off achieving this
- Identify the information you'll need to provide to prevent them being put off
From this, you'll be able to create a list of website pages and a rough idea of how they might flow together. You'll then be able to work out exactly what pages to include on the website and how to group these pages together.
Bear in mind though, some users will need more information than others, so you'll always need to provide them with a choice of continuing on the information flow or jumping off so that they can achieve the goal you've set for them.
Going back to the website of the web design company, an information flow that their site visitors might go on could look something like this:
1. Homepage
2. Portfolio
3. Client testimonials
4. Company background
5. Staff bios
6. Terms & conditions
7. Good web design tips
8. Contact us
The web design company's ultimate goal is for site visitors to contact them and request their services. Wherever users are in this flow, they must be able to easily and immediately jump straight to the contact page at any point.
You've probably already seen this in action on websites. You arrive at the homepage and there are two or three prominent links (often in the form of boxes) telling you some basic information and requesting that you click on them to take you into some other part of the website. You go to that page on the website, read the information and then choose where to go next. And this keeps going on, until you either quit or complete the desired goal of the website.
So, the web design company's homepage might look something like what you see at http://www.webcredible.co.uk/images/plan-usable.gif.
The three boxes in the middle answer some immediate questions that users may have and proactively address their concerns. The contact us button on the top-left can remain in that position on every page, so users always have the opportunity to jump to the contact page.
3. Usability testing
Once the website plan has been created, it's time to test it. This is the most important usability test that needs to be done and the one that will save you the most time and money in the long run. Every ?1 invested in making your website easy-to-use returns ?10 to ?100 (source:http://www-3.ibm.com/ibm/easy/eou_ext.nsf/Publish/23/).
If you don't do any usability testing you may discover that the structure of the website doesn't make sense once the website's up and running. This can and has happened and it leaves you with two choices: redesign the website or make a new website - neither are attractive options.
The most common objections to doing usability testing are:
- It's too expensive!
- It'll take too much time!
- I don't know how to do it!
Wrong, wrong, and wrong! Usability testing, especially at this early stage, is incredibly cheap, quick, informal and eas
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