I don’t know about you, but when I am searching on the internet I like to find things fast. I think that is why the world wide web was developed, wasn’t it? So, we could find things in a split second. Not having to spend hours hunting for what we were looking for. Computer and Smartphones were also tools to help simplify our lives or have they? To some extent yes, but I believe they have also made us so connected and so in touch that we have become a dependent on them and in some ways hindered us, but I digress.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when I am searching on the internet and come across a website that is so busy, so confusing, that you cannot find anything. How about those websites that you click here, then there, then again, twenty clicks later you might have found what you are looking for. Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration, but I am not too far off. In other words, websites that are like blackholes. If I come across either of these types of websites, I just move on until I find one that is more user friendly. Now, I do agree with the school of thought that you want your most important information above the scroll line. I don’t like to have to scroll too far down to view a website. The first view of a website should be eye catching.
There is supposedly the concept that the more clicks a website the more apt the customer will purchase from you, or continue to search through your website. Really? I haven’t read any studies about busy websites, but I’m sure there are some studies that show the busier the website the better. Again…really? I guess maybe it comes from the same studies that show people like to play the haggle game when they go purchase a car. To see how much of a savings they can get. I don’t like to haggle. I want to know what the price is, how much they are giving me for my vehicle. Then, if I like it, we have a deal. If I don’t, I’ll go elsewhere.
Now I haven’t even mentioned the websites that have hard to read, clashing colors, or font colors that are very hard to read, or (the biggest blunder) not being up to date. Those all are annoying and a topic for my next blog.
I thought maybe I was the only one who felt this way, but I have asked many people and most feel the same as me. So, I thought I’ll ask my teenage daughter, a millennial, who has grown up on technology and speed. She agrees as well. She doesn’t like busy websites, or the ones where you have to click more than a couple of times to get where you are wanting to go. I asked her if her friends felt the same way. She said they do. Granted, that isn’t a very scientific study, but either way it proves my point.
Your website should be eye catching, visually pleasing, easy to understand, easy to navigate, and it should be obvious from your home page what your business/website is about. It is ok to have a little mystery, if it works well for your line of business, but again you do not want people to have to search too much to understand what you are about. Photos, video, social media feeds are all essential parts to have on your website. Not only will they help drive traffic, but they bring in the “entertainment” factor of your website.
So, if your website isn’t getting a lot of traffic, you might need to take a close, hard look at. If it isn’t easy to read, easily to navigate, pleasing to the eye and attention getting then you should consider updating! If you can’t do it then find an expert that can assist you.
What about you? Do you like websites that take you into the “Black Hole,'” or do you like to find what you are looking for quickly? I would like to hear your comments.
