I recently signed up for a website to interact with fellow bloggers.  Upon sign up I was confused as to what to do next, and gave up as I had more pressing tasks to deal with.   But no worries, I got an email from the company admitting they have usability problems:

Hey jendavislever,

One of the most frequent complaints I hear is that our site is hard to figure… which is partly true because we have too many quite unique features. Today’s step will help you make sense of the service.

Interesting approach to a usability problem, but obviously not one that helps me use the website.  Granted, admitting the problem is the first step, but they have justified it by indicating they have “too many quite unique features.”

The next part of the email introduced their remedy to fix the problem:

We are doing our best to create a clear, easy-to-understand structure, therefore we have introduced “Categories” to somehow categorize and organize new offers.

But I’m not convinced categories are the right answer, even without looking at the site again because their own wording does not convince me: “to somehow categorize…” The word somehow does not show confidence in this fix.

The email continues by telling me how to use the categories in the different areas of the site.  But it adds to more confusion as in one area I am supposed to “look for ‘Category’ drop down” but in another area I am supposed to browse by category using the “icon navigation on top of it.”  In looking at the website, and sure enough, one area it is drop down, the other it is a set of icons, but the categories are the same. There is no apparent reason for the difference.

Next, there are four different search options on the website.  In some ways this may be good if using advanced options but in this instance there are literally four separate search pages which is not good.  Give the user one search, and provide advanced options to search the site vs. user forums for instance.

And this point I have pretty much abandoned even attempting using the site, as it isn’t worth my time to try and navigate it.  And even it I was still considering it, the next paragraph of the email completely turns me off:

Reporting users and threadsWe are a friendly community and we are willing to welcome everyone. However some people want to abuse our tools and we can protect ourselves by reporting those users:

When do I report users and forum?

What follows is more text about reporting others, more text than was used to explain their usability problems. If bad user behavior is such a problem that it has to be address in an email, this is not a community I want to part of.

This email is listed as the second of a five-step course. I’m already turned off at step two and have completely given up on this service.

Making a great user experience should be the number concern of running any website.  Using email to apologize for user experience is not a way to overcome any usability issues.

Since Google’s 2011 Panda update, impacted sites have been scrambling to uncover the method behind the madness and gain insight into the algorithm changes. This week, HubPages.com, a site that was heavily impacted by Panda, announced it may have found a piece to the algorithm puzzle with the use of subdomains to break out content.

HubPages reported seeing a 50% drop in traffic after the Google Panda updates this year and during preliminary tests some newly created subdomains returned to pre-Panda traffic in a few short weeks. After discovering the subdomain difference on accident, HubPages reached out to Google and received a response from search engineer, Matt Cutts, which affirmed HubPages’ discovery to try subdomains as one way to improve rankings.

Some are looking at this successful as the first “work around” to Panda, but to me it seems to reiterate Google’s long-time algorithm goal to provide the most relevant, quality content to its users.  I think it may be a helpful fix for good-quality content that was wrongfully hurt by the Panda update, but not a work around for sites that still struggle with poor content.

Through HubPages’ recent tests, the subdomain switch has reportedly helped those authors with high-quality content and not improved authors with low-quality content. (You can read about the varying results in the comment section of a recent HubPages blog post.)  So whether this is a universal fix is unknown.

How this information translates to helping ecommerce, retail and standard business sites is also up for discussion.  Most sites should not disregard previous best practices on subdomains based on HubPages’ initial success. Restructuring a site to include subdomains is not a small switch for most, and shouldn’t be done without considering its impacts across your site.  Subdomains are a powerful tool for topics of importance to your company but can also dilute the strength of main domain content.

I recommend… as with anything related to SEO… sites looking to set up subdomains for SEO purposes should do their research and make the best decision based on their own site, goals and past experience.

“How do I know it was really the winner and not just chance that visitors converted from that page?”

And there is probably a hundred “excuses” someone can give as to why the winning page isn’t really the winner. Here are a few:

• Obviously more qualified traffic went to the winning page than the other pages.
• Conversions happened on every page, it is just chance that more converted on the one page.
• There should always be a difference in conversion rate no matter what page is presented; it depends on the visitor not the page.

There is probably some truth to all of these statements, but unless you interview every visitor to each page, you cannot prove or disprove any of these statements. But one helpful test can help you take at least some of the guess work: Null testing. In other words, test “nothing”.

Prior to the “real” test, make an exact duplicate of the landing page in an A/B test or the variations in a multivariate test and set up a test with the duplicate running against the original. With all variables being the same, any difference in conversion rate between the pages should be considered the average difference. Apply this difference to the results of the “real” test.

If the difference in conversion rate in null testing is 2.5%, we would anticipate seeing that at least that same amount of difference in conversion rate in an actual test and would not be considered conclusive. Any increase above 2.5% should be considered a true increase in conversion.

By taking into consideration natural differences based on traffic and visitor engagement, we can take some of the “chance” thinking in the test results.

Next time you set out to start a website optimization test consider the following tips:

1. Think About the Test
Before you jump head first in to rolling out a test make sure you really know what you are doing, what type of test are you going to run, what you are testing, and what you are trying to achieve from the test. The more thought you put into the test beforehand, the better crafted the test will be. The better crafted the test, the better results you will see. It is worth your while to put a little extra time and thought into the test before launch.

2. Test on High Traffic Pages
The more traffic you send to a test the quicker you will be able to see results. It is not a bad idea to run your first test on a low traffic website or page in order to get the hang of it but generally speaking the more traffic you are able to direct at a test the better.

3. Start with Small Test
With multivariate and split testing, you are able to test a wide variety of elements on a page, however, it is important to keep in mind that the more variations you are testing the longer the test will take. When running an initial test, start small by testing just a couple of elements on a page, 4 items maximum. From there you can take those findings and move on to a larger, more dynamic test.

4. Test on High Conversions
Ideally you want to run a test on something that will produce a high amount of conversions so that you are able to quickly gain insights from the test. For example, start by testing on how often a user adds a product to the cart rather than how often a user completes a purchase. Understandably, you want users to make the purchase but taking your test one step at a time will eliminate a lot of the guessing work involved when trying to figure out what is and is not working. Once you have users adding items to the cart, then worry about them successfully making a purchase.

5. Be Courageous
When you are running a test, make sure to test against variables that are distinctively different from one another. Testing a red headline against a light red headline probably is not going to yield much of a difference. Instead test a red headline against a green or blue headline. Make the differences notable and then, if need be, you can always come back and test slight variations later.

6. Analyze Your Test Combinations
Creating different test combinations takes a fair amount of time and effort. In creating these combinations you are likely to whip up some odd ball combinations; combinations that will most likely clutter the test and impair the results. As an example, using white text on a light gray background is not a great idea. Keep a close on your test combinations and make sure they are credible and do not run off track.

7. Inspect User Impact
The last thing you want to do is run a test in which your conversions tank, but it is possible. Look into the impact a test will have on your users, good or bad. Maybe you only want to run a test on a certain part of a website or perhaps even run a small series of tests. Make sure you are not flipping a switch for better or worse and always recognize the potential outcomes.

8. Keep Your Head Up
If your first test falls flat on its face, do not give up. It may take a few tests for you to see any improvements and finally catch on to how your visitors are reacting. No worry, optimizing a website is a long process, of which you need to be committed to in order to become successful. Keep your head up and be patient. If you are persistent you will run a successful test and find the results you have been looking for.

9. You Be the Judge
When it is all said and done, you know and understand your website better than anyone else. Make educated decisions based on what you believe to be the most beneficial for the website. Doing so can put your website on the map and ahead of your competitors.

10. Get Started!
Setting up and running an effective test might seem like quite a bit of work, and to an extent it is, but in the end it is all worth it. Do not put off testing because you feel like it is too much work or you are simply content with the conversion rate you have. Realize that there is always, always room for improvement and the test you start today could pave the way for greater success further down the road.

• Content that is updated frequently and provides ongoing assistance or relevancy to the user (e.g. tips, blog entries)
• User ability to personalize the site to suite their needs (e.g. iGoogle, My Yahoo)
• Online communities/forums
• User feedback (e.g. product reviews, ratings, surveys)

The key to stickiness for online retailers is to not only provide a reason for users to come back, but also to have those users buy products, repeatedly. But it is a fine line, and the stickiness has to be compelling enough to encourage subsequent visits with the sales pitch a subtle part of it.

Here are some examples of stickiness mixed with a sales pitch:

• Blog entry giving tips on how to use products you offer.  Don’t forget, link the product pages from the blog so the user can click and order easily.
• Include a link for customers to provide feedback on the products they purchased in order confirmation/thank you/shipping notification emails. The page to provide the feedback should include accessories or other products that would compliment their purchase.
• Online community forum set up to talk about topics related to your web site and products.  For example, a web site specializing in baby products could have an expectant mother community forum.

Stickiness and SEO
Two of the basic principles behind Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are to update your content regularly as well as have links to your web site from other web sites.  Well, having a “sticky” web site can help achieve these two goals, and therefore help in your SEO efforts.

For example, if you take the above idea of writing blog entries for product tips, you are updating your blog weekly.  But take it one step further and take some of the information in your blog and update the product page, the category page, the new products/features/best sellers page, as well. Depending on the product and where it is placed on your web site, you could update several pages with new content.

Now, those same blog entries will be of interest to people, and others with their own blogs may link to yours, or others with their own web site may link to the product page that shows their great review.

Of course the possibilities are endless, but online retailers have to keep the goal in mind: repeat sales. Try different tactics until you find the right mix of visitors and sales.

Need help? Contact Lever Interactive for web site optimization, social marketing and search engine optimization.

“Eyetracking visualizations show that users often read web pages in an F-shaped pattern: two horizontal stripes followed by a vertical stripe. F for fast. That’s how users read your content. In a few seconds, their eyes move at amazing speeds across your website’s words in a pattern that’s very different from what you learned in school.” (Nielsen, par. 1-2)

How to Make Your Web Pages More “Scannable:”

• Highlight keywords
• Use meaningful sub-heads
• Use bulleted lists
• Keep paragraphs to one idea
• Write in an inverted pyramid style
• Keep your word count down, use about half the word count that you would use for print

Don’t Lose Your Audience
Users will most likely visit multiple web sites in one sitting. Don’t lose your user’s interest by burying information in content-heavy pages. Try to provide useful information in a quick and visual way rather than through long text explanations. If you don’t, the user will more than likely leave your site to view a competitor.

Be Concise
Web writing should be concise. Don’t worry about transitions. Web users don’t look for a smooth, essay-like structure.

If You Have Further Information
If the topic has a lot of content, offer the most useful information on the landing page, and link to additional content for users who want more information. This will help retain users who just want a taste of information, but still satisfy users who are looking for in-depth information.

Is My Web Site Content Heavy?
One of the easiest ways to determine if a particular page is too content heavy is to look at the bounce rate and/or conversions. A page that has multiple paragraphs of text with no visual cues (bullet lists, sub-heads, highlighted keywords, etc.) and a high bounce rate and/or low conversions may indicate it is too content heavy. Conduct a simple A/B test with your original version and a new version with the content reduced, and see if you get better results.

Need help?
Contact Lever Interactive for web site optimization services. We can help identify problem pages, make recommendations and conduct testing.

Nielsen, Jakob. Jakob Nielsen on Usability and Web Design. F-Shaped Pattern for Reading Web Content. Nielson Norman Group. 17 April 2006

Here are some tips to writing good product descriptions:

• Use Specifics
  Descriptive words like “large” and “roomy” mean different things to different people. While you don’t want to exclude them, provide measurements to back up the statement.
• Limit Superlatives
  Web users detest “marketese.” Unless you can back up the statement in some manner, try to limit the use of superlatives like “Best Product,” “Hottest Ever,” etc. Instead offer a list of features allowing the user to determine on their own if it is the “Best Product.” Remember, web users are busy; they want the straight facts. Also, credibility suffers when users clearly see the site exaggerates.
• Provide Tips or Usage Examples
  Give real-world examples and tips on using a product, particularly if it is new, or has multiple uses.
• Don’t be too Fancy
  If the item comes in pink, light green and blue, use those common color terms instead of bubble gum, seafoam and indigo. If the manufacturer has offered the products with unusual color names, be sure to give the common color terms alongside the manufacturer’s color name.
• Keep it Short
  You are competing with millions of other web sites, busy schedules, and the shorter attention span of most potential customers. Keep it simple. Keep it short. Use headlines and bullet lists to help the user scan the text, so they can find their most important reason for buying the product.

If your product descriptions need some work, concentrate on your top 10-20 products first. Make some changes, and test to see if they make a difference. Keep changing and testing until you find the right combination and apply those changes to your remaining inventory.

Need help? Contact Lever Interactive for web site optimization services.