Posted by: David Dittman
November 3, 2007
Issue #272

Does My Website Work?

Hello again and welcome to another installment of Working IT Out! Today I want to talk about a very important, but often understated issue … usability.

When I say usability, I simply mean: Does my website provide the type of user experience I envision my customers having?

Is my website actually usable?

Today we are going to find out.

In this issue:

• How to use empathy on your website to bring customers back again and again …
• 3 ways to use testimonials on your site to build credibility and increase sales …
• A fun involvement device that brings visitors to your website in droves – and keeps them coming back for more …
• And much More!

Let’s face it, the goal is sales.

The only way to buy the new car/boat/shiny metal watch is with money.

So that translates into: I got to get paid.

We build lists, strategize SEO, and dissect copy, all with thought, that in the end I will get my green backs.

That brings up a very important issue, Who is buying?

Ah Hah! To make sales, I have to know first and foremost who I’m selling to.

Alright, now that I have thought about my specific scenario and who my potential clients are I really need to think about two additional aspects:

1. What will make them buy from me?
2. What will make them loyal and then buy from me again (and hopefully tell some friends)?

Now we are at the root of the sales experience.

We know who are potential clients are.

We know what we want to sell them.

The final piece is to create an environment for them to shop in that accomplishes our goals of first making them buyers and also bonding with them in such a way as to create loyalty, thus creating repeat buyers.

Today, I will give you ten concepts to consider while building your sales utopia, aka website.

Keep in mind that these are ten concepts that you should use to make your website more user friendly for your potential clients, thus getting more sales.

I wanted to create the ultimate buzzword to express these concepts. Here were some thoughts:

Captivating Concepts, Tantalizing Tenacious Concepts, Pizzazz Punching Concepts, Hypnotic Attraction Concepts (because everyone love hypnotics).

Ultimately I landed on Curb Appeal Concepts. Some of the others were a little too Xtreme for the general public …

Alright back to business …

Curb Appeal Concept 1, Test Drive It:

I always find the first thing you need to know is, can people use my site the way I want them to?

Most people have a goal of what they want their potential clients to do and how they should act once they are on the site, but do they actually do what you expect?

One simple test is to have friends or colleagues that were not part of the design or conception of the site, actually play around on your site, ideally when you can watch them.

Simple really, just invite some people over to the office for a “pre-launch” party and have them go through the process.

Where do they get hung up?

Are they going off on unexpected tangents?

Can they navigate the site easily?

Curb Appeal Concept 2, Empathy:

I’ll admit I’m not a professional writer (as anyone who reads my column knows), but I’ll tell you one overarching emotion that helps people bond to you, empathy.

As a former teacher, I found empathy to be one of the most effective emotions when attempting to bond with harder to reach students.

Listening to others and then responding in an understanding way is a great persuasion technique.

Just relating to your prospects in an empathetic way is a great bonding element.

Instead of saying: Want to quit your job and make more money?

Say: I know how hard the daily grind is, we’ve been there before and it’s hard. We can help you, here’s how.

The masters of copywriting have echoed this thought time and time again, why not make your whole site reflect these emotions? Why not allow the website experience to be one which the client feels like you truly care.

Curb Appeal Concept 3, Testimonials:

I won’t preach to the choir about how important testimonials are. If you’ve been reading The Total Package, you’ve heard the masters talk about it time and time again.

Once again, though, there is no reason why testimonials can’t be a running theme, reflected throughout your site.

It reminds me of a Seinfeld joke where Jerry was talking about getting healthier. The premise was why not just go up to attractive people who look healthy and say, “Hey you look pretty good, what do you do?”

Hearing other real people with real pictures and smiling faces talk about your product is a huge identifier for potential clients.

Now you can take this a step further and actually encourage testimonials by providing them a link to their site from the testimonial, thus creating a bit of a testimonial link exchange.

Take this even one further step, and you can provide testimonials with links included.

Just remember, the idea is to bond … So false testimonials spread haphazardly throughout the Internet, with the sole purpose of getting sites to link to you, reeks of dishonesty and in the long run will ruin your credibility.

Curb Appeal Concept 4, Give Something Away:

Give people a reason to be on your site.

The bonding value of free content can be worth its weight in gold. Unexpected, unadvertised gifts give you a warm and fuzzy feeling. Try to replicate that feeling and make it an overarching theme.

Over-deliver.

Curb Appeal Concept 5, Stroke Egos:

This is a pretty easy concept that has been proven successful throughout history.

If you want someone’s help, build them up, tell them what they want to hear and explain to them how good they are at it.

Let’s face it, we like it when someone tells us we’re smart or funny or good at something.

Do not underestimate the power of telling people what they want to hear.

On the flip side, no one likes a kiss @%#. Don’t go around telling everyone that they are geniuses just in the off chance they’ll return the favor somehow. Too much of this and people will not be interested in your opinion.

The key is balance and timing.

If you want to work with Forbes on a joint venture, it’s probably not a good idea to write an article about how stupid you think they are.

However, a true yet flattering diagnosis of one of their products could be just the thing to get the attention of one of their ad reps.

Curb Appeal Concept 6, Have a Contest:

The bottom line is we like to compete and we want validation of how smart we are.

A carefully thought out contest can be just the catalyst to one of my favorite buzz words, viral.

I love the way people say, "hey let’s make it go viral." Kind of like saying let’s have a carefully drawn out plan of something we can do spontaneously.

But my buzz word disdain aside, contests can truly make people feel like they are active and involved in your website or campaign.

Just the kind of involvement device that makes you want to check back often and let your friends know about the site too, so they can see just how smart you are …

Curb Appeal Concept 7, Show your Awards:

Awards can be a huge credibility element. No matter how insignificant the award, it still shows that someone out there acknowledged the good work you did.

Awards and certifications can be huge way to borrow the credibility of others, ride their tail coats a bit.

Saying that you received an award from one of the most decorated and accomplished marketers, implies that you are connected to them in some way … so much in fact that they gave you an award!

Curb Appeal Concept 8, Use the Authority of Associations:

Trade organizations and associations typically have great credibility in your field. In many cases, just joining the association allows you to piggy back on some of their fame and reputation.

This is yet another way to take the reputation of others and well, associate yourself with them.

In many cases membership will allow you to put a link to your site on their well-established site.

The Better Business Bureau and your local Chamber of Commerce are two associations that are no brainers and provide many other services that your business can benefit from.

Curb Appeal Concept 9, Go to a Conference:

Those of you who don’t network at conferences are missing out on great networking opportunities.

Not only do conferences allow you to stay current and mingle with like-minded people. Some conferences post an official list of attendees, sponsors or even speakers that can be used for contacts later.

This is also a great place to go to drum up some hype on a current product launch. Have your carefully planned contest (Concept 6) ready and in place, then hand out cards with links to it while you’re rubbing elbows with your colleagues.

Curb Appeal Concept 10, Don’t be Salesy:

As consumers most of us can accept that people are trying to sell you stuff. This doesn’t mean that we want it jammed in our face and constantly pressured to buy.

If your site feels like a used car salesmen, it’s time to tone it down.

Think back to empathy, you have products that you believe can help people.

Explain this to them, remind them, but don’t shove it in their face.

That wraps it up for us today, but be sure and comment with your thoughts below. Let us know what concepts you have found to be a must on successful sites.

Next issue I’m going to dive back into some SEO strategy and point out some simple, yet effective concepts that will make a difference, no matter what search engine you’re trying to win with.

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Editor, Working IT Out
THE TOTAL PACKAGE

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1 Comment »

1. Comment by James Alenteal — November 3, 2007 @ 9:53 pm

   David,
   Thanks so much for writing about this neglected subject. I have been evangelizing the usability doctrine for years, and it seems that people are just now beginning to catch on.
   Kudos for a much needed airing out of this subject!