New Article - You're Not Listening To Your Audience: The Flaw In Your Website Design

[thejenn]

Authored by: Erin Walker

Full Text: http://www.searchengineguide.com/eri...o_your_au.html

A Snippet:

What would you say if I told you that your website design is costing you sales, prospects, and brand visibility? If you are a savvy marketer – and I'm sure that you are – you would want to address the problem immediately; after all, your company's website should be helping you make money, not lose it.

[NewbieTeacher]

Thank you Erin for your well-written and researched article.
As someone involved with helping others start or grow their own Internet home based businesses, I'm often asked to look at someone's site. Your right about the attachment they have to the work they've done. If I want to keep a client, I have to walk on egg-shells. It's really easier to get them BEFORE the site is set up.
I must echo the sentiments within the article about websites needing to be user-friendly. I have a neighbor that still uses dial-up Internet. I'm sure she's not the only one in the world. I remember my frustration with dial-up and sites that had any type of picture. I'd just move on. I caution my clients about pictures and graphics.
My pet peeve, next to flash, are those danged slide-in's. I have an adblocker on purpose. If I want to subscribe, I will. It's a 50/50 chance I'll pass on the site when that happens.
My next biggest irritation is clashing colors. Must be designed by people that are color blind, I swear.
Enough rant. Thanks again.

[zoobie]

Very good point!

This is a helpful article. We should keep this in mind, especially to those who will start to build their site and even to those maintaining it.

[Sadelle]

Thank you *so* much for this article!

I have to say, I have been a subscriber to the searchenginewatch newsletter for a few years now, and lately I've been following Jennifer's ever so helpful articles. I've bookmarked Erin's article and have even sent the link to my boss, as we're constantly trying to talk clients out of the big "Flashy" home page idea.

I've noticed that the clients we have that have 'outside marketing consultants' working with them seem most prone to want the Flash stuff. You'd think the 'marketing consultants' they hire would have done some of their homework on how consumers really browse, but no.

In the end, when we are allowed to do a clean and simple, easy to read design for a client, they always thank us in the end.