Most businesses focus on adding fuel to propel their idea online. They look for ways to attract more visitors and spread their message. But what if your potential customers know about you and appreciate what you are doing but are still not interested in signing up, making a purchase, or any other number of end goals for your site? Consider if the online process which you interact with your customers has any friction or pain points, that stop them from making making that final conversion for you. Here is a list of important stumbling blocks to consider when it comes to your organization’s website, whether you run a WordPress non profit website focused on donations, a high volume Magento eCommmerce website, or any other site that has a specific goal for every user who lands there (which every website should).
Load Speed
Your site should load in less than 2 seconds. If your site takes more than that you have already lost all the impatient customers. If you are wondering why your site is taking so long to load GtMetrix is a great resource to for testing the site speed.
Site Layout
Having elements on your site that do not quite fit on the page or are partially covered shows lack of professional touch and can be very frustrating for potential customers. Make sure all your layouts are displaying properly on all screen sizes, especially on mobile devices.
Ease of Navigation
Any potential customer will gain confidence in your service if the navigation on your site is easy to use and predictable. When clicking on a specific menu link or button the visitor is making a guess – is this where I can find this information? You do not want to surprise or disappoint them by not providing the content they expected. For example, telling your company history on a contact page, or giving people directions to a brick and mortar store in a “buy it now” section.
Ease of Contact
Having an easy way for a potential customer to get in touch with you, have their questions answered or sing up for your service is extremely important. The contact form should not be asking any unnecessary information of the client and in general should have as few fields as possible. You can ask more detailed questions once the contact is established.
Ease of Payment
There is an abundance of options when it comes to online payment processors. Our favorite is Authorize.net. You can use them both with WooCommerce and Gravity Forms. Any payment form that does not accept a card directly on the website but requires you to login to a third party or mail a check is a guaranteed deterrent.
Login Procedure
Some websites require visitors to login to use the site. It’s a great way to secure the site content and client information. If your site requires a login make sure that the login and password can be easily recovered. There are few things more frustrating than a lost password. For content that requires the user to log in, provide them with the login form right away instead of re-directing them to a different page.
The Rule of 3s
Take a minute to decide what the three most important actions are on your site. It can be making a donation, purchasing a product, signing up for a service, scheduling an appointment, etc. Can a user complete this task with three clicks starting at the home page? If not, you are creating friction that could turn your customers away.
Not sure how to make your site more user friendly? Reach out to us and we will be happy to help you remove any roadblocks from your site.
