m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e Maximizing Your Website for Increased Revenues, Loyalty, and Traffic Mike Atkinson uneekNet Need a tune-up?

You've carefully thought out all the angles. You've done it a thousand times. It comes naturally to you. You know what you're doing— its what you've been trained to do. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right ? m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e carefully plan

Think again. m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e

who am i?

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e executive director

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e internet director

helping organizations succeed on the Internet m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e owner / ceo / janitor

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e

This isn’t rocket surgery seminar theme

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e The goal of user interface design is to help the user succeed

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"It’s a single idea, one that I call 'customer experience' and can be described in any number of ways. Focus on the other person’s needs. Listen to customers. Be open to data that comes from the outside…

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e …Create a good experience for someone other than yourself. See the pattern? It takes a certain mindset – that of empathy – to do this work." - Mark Hurst

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e Design websites for others, as you would want others to design websites for you.

how we really use the web m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e scan satisfice (satisfy/suffice) muddle through “We’re thinking ‘great literature’ (or at least ‘product brochure’), while the user’s reality is closer to ‘billboard going by at 60 miles an hour.’”

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e "Jim, this might be a great program but confusion is the mother of indecision and I cain’t make a decision if I cain’t understand what Ah’m supposed to be decidin’.” confusion is the mother of indecision

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e “The Web is a selfish place. People don’t have time. They scan pages looking for something specific. They only care about what you can do for them. It’s about self- service and self-service is about simplicity and convenience. ” - Gerry McGovern

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e THE K I S S principle eep timpleunshine

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e ENGINE (user ID)

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e?

Celeste 26 years old Single Philadelphia Assistant manager, Wal-Mart Christian for 15 years Heart for the lost Volunteered at various urban ministries She has been encouraged by her home group to explore urban missions work Knows about the Navs, but not about a specific program m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e

Who’s your user advocate?

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e DIAGNOSTICS (user testing)

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e Come up with tasks you think are important for folks when they visit your site. Sit down with people individually in front of a computer. Tell them that this is a test of the website, not them! If something goes wrong, it doesn't mean they're stupid. It means the site is broken. Steps

Ask them to complete each task individually. Have them give you a verbal play-by-play of what they're thinking while trying to complete each task. Watch closely what they do. Make notes. Better yet, video tape it so you (and others) can watch it later. m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e Steps

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e PAINT JOB (design)

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e "A picture is worth a thousand words." "You can tell a book by its cover." "You only have one chance to make a good first impression."

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e DASHBOARD (navigation)

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e “Every publishing medium develops conventions and continues to refine them and develop new ones over time. The Web already has a lot of them, mostly derived from newspaper and magazine conventions, and new ones will continue to appear. Think of how frustrating it is when one of these conventions is broken (when magazines don’t put page numbers on advertising pages, for instance.”

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"Every time you add something to a webpage you potentially make that page a little less clear. Your goal should be to design a website that even an adult can understand." - Steve Krug

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e INTERIOR (content)

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e E.B. White’s 17th rule: Omit needless words Krug’s version for the Web: Omit needless words

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e Get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what’s left. (Relating to happy talk and instructions) Shorter paragraphs Bulleted lists

features vs. benefits m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e

Steak Sizzle Better Sizzle m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e

how? stories pictures voice: active genuine conversational m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e

create strong scents

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e 1 st generation sites: forced routes

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e 2 nd generation sites: spilled guts

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e 3 rd generation sites: sniff trails

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Users navigate from page to page based on cues -- snippets of text or graphics -- that they see as they go along. They tend to click on the link that emits the strongest information scent… Palo Alto Research Center Inc. (PARC) m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e

examples… m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e

path #1: category m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e

path #2: type m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e

path #3: interest/needs m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e

When it comes to Web site development, there is no finish line. You only finish laps.

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e questions…?

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t emore Today’s presentation will be on the Web: PowerPoint file Downloadable resources Links to other resources

m a x i m i z e y o u r s i t e PLEASE fill out the eval