Introduction
The web is filled with opportunity. Everyday, thousands of business and organizations
go on-line. Many will have their web sites designed in-house while others will
hire web site design services such as us. We have logged thousands of hours on
the web, looking at web sites, finding out what works and what doesn't. Here are
a few of our observations about the most common mistakes in web site design.
Not Letting the Customer Stay in Control
Not letting the customer stay in control is perhaps the most important and
fundamental error made in web site design by both large and small organizations.
Every visitor to your web site is an honored guest and should be treated accordingly.
Psychologically, the web is a much more personal experience than passive forms
of media such as television or radio. The visitor to your web site is actively
engaged and wants to be in control of their experience. The moment you take away
control from your visitor, you will make them feel uncomfortable and the customer
losses trust in your organization. Take away enough control, and they will bolt
from your web site and will have a bad impression about your organization.
What are ways that web sites take away control from their visitors?
Invading the Customer’s Privacy- This includes forcing the customer
to divulge personal information in order to gain access to publicly available
pricing and other information. There are of course necessary reasons to ask the
customer for person information such as taking name, address and credit card information
for an on-line order or for creating a personal profile that benefits the customer.
However, you should have a simple privacy policy written in plain English (not
legalese) that states exactly what the information will be used for. If you are
using personal information to create a customer profile, you need to let the customers
have control of how this information will be used.
Automatic Pop-Up Windows and Similar Devices- There are some very good
uses information enhancing pop-up windows that happen as the result of a deliberate
customer action. We are referring here to the use of automatic pop-ups that are
used for advertising. The unpredictability of these may give many visitors to
you web site the sense of loss of control.
Not Giving Customers a Clear Exit- This goes back to good web site
navigational design. Visitors to your web site should always have a sense of where
they are your the web site and how to escape. If you have a multi-page process
such as a sign-up form, you should always clearly mark where they are in the process
and clearly show them the "undo button".
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