7 things you can do so your users won’t leave
Posted on Tuesday, October 14th, 2008Instead of trying to constantly impress users with snazzy graphics and smooth flash movies lets go back to the basics and think about the what they like and what they hate. You may think your site is usable, good-looking, easily navigable and fast… but do your users agree?
So, here are seven things you can do to make sure your users stay for more than five seconds:
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Get a logo
A logo is the first step in creating a solid and memorable brand. Your entire website speaks for itself so make sure it says the right things and get yourself a logo. This is especially important if the name of your site is either really common or really complicated - normally, having a logo will aid your users in remembering your brand and your website.
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Provide a method of contact
Don’t leave your users clueless when they want to tell you something. You should give them at least one way to contact you, whether it be an email address, your Linked-In profile or a contact form. Personally I prefer contact forms because they normally provide the quickest way to contact someone. When you list your email address please don’t make it into a ‘mailto’ link and please don’t write it in plain format (person@email.com) - this is just stupid - when I see this I think, "Well, whoever made this website must be an idiot who knows nothing about spam bots!" (a little harsh, I know) Instead of plain email format write it how a human would understand, for example: "You can contact me be emailing John at my-website dot com."
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Have an honest "about" page
Website creation 101 teaches you to create an ‘about me’ / ‘about us’ page but what it does not teach you is what to put on that page. Please be honest! If you’re an individual then don’t say "we are a company", instead say "I am an individual." Also, when a user goes to an about page they expect to see actual information about the site and/or it’s owners/creators, not some marketing drivel which doesn’t actually say anything worthwhile!
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Speed up your website
A slow website is the ultimate turnoff for a first-time user. Make sure your website is well optimised - this means your images, scripts, StyleSheets and flash movies have to be optimised down to the smallest size possible (without losing too much quality). Also make sure your hosting package isn’t holding you back, spending a bit extra on hosting can save both you and your users precious time, it’s definitely worth the expense. Also, try and reduce the amount of pages a user has to visit - obviously keep content separate but if you’ve got something like a login form on a page of it’s own then navigating there is just a waste of time for the user; instead you might want to consider integrating the login form on the homepage.
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Validate!
Form validation is not just for your benefit, the user loves it too! As long as it’s intuitive and doesn’t require a lot of waiting time data validation can really enhance the user’s experience. If possible, use client-side scripting to achieve this - obviously a server-side solution does need to be in place but it’s always nice to have a speedier alternative (JavaScript). I don’t know about the rest of the world but what I prefer is when it all happens on the fly. So, when I’m entering my required username I will get immediate feedback on whether that username is available or not, instead of having to click submit and re-enter my password and un-tick those stupid "subscribe" checkboxes!
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Treat them like humans
Don’t make your human users feel like bots. The need to minimize spam is understandable but please use things like CAPTCHA only when you have to. And when marking-up links and deciding which phrases should be links take humans into account before the search engines.
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Write JavaScript which degrades, gracefully
I am totally SICK of people who deny the importance of this practice. For all those out there who don’t quite understand the concept listen up!
Graceful degradation is the process through which an application or website’s function degrades smoothly without presenting the user with functionless elements or features. Some people out there will tell you that it’s not very important anymore because *most* people have JavaScript enabled. Regardless of the majority you have to cater to as many people as possible. If a user doesn’t have JavaScript enabled and you haven’t bothered to make sure your code degrades, all you’re going to do is confuse that user! Graceful degradation comes hand in hand with progressive enhancement so make sure you take both into account, always!
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Nice article, but I’m surprised you didn’t say ANYTHING about flash. Not only is it slow for dial-up internet users it does not degrade nicely for users that
a) don’t have flash installed on their computer (think school)
b) Use a screen reader
c) Are a search engine
I am surprised and upset at the amount of flash portfolios I see on the internet for the reasons I stated above.
That put aside flash is great for animations, games, and interactive web applications. But it should NEVER be used for a websites main layout.
Aviary is a good example of great flash usage
> http://a.viary.com/
October 24th, 2008 at 12:55 am
@ Evan - Flash does definately suck for low end computers.. Nothing kills the FPS like a good fullscreen app.
Great post James, I really like the thumbnails you use beside each of your points.. It makes the posts very easy to scan/read.
December 16th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Great article. I’d only add that testing the design, concepts or live website with actual consumers is mandatory today. One of the top three reasons customers leave a site is that they can’t find what they’re looking for and the bulk of that comes from poor design, usability, layout and architecture. All of which, more or less are under the designer/client control. But thanks again for a great post!