Standard elements increase web usability and results
‘Unfortunately, much of the Web is like an anthill built by ants on LSD: many sites don’t fit into the big picture, and are too difficult to use because they deviate from expected norms. ‘Jakob Nielsen
Jakob – you just made my day!
This usability guru’s research shows users expect 77% of the simpler Web design elements to behave in a certain way – yet we insist on making them complicated and difficult to use.
It’s no wonder websites are losing over 60% of their visitors right off the home page.
We’re so caught up in building a work of art we lose sight of the reason we have a website – to service and inform visitors so they’ll do more business with us.
NIelsen’s recent study on user expectations show that a convention or standard definitely exists, which means that people will apparently know how to use your site when these conventions or standards are followed.
When you ‘do your own thing’ and design outside of these conventions, you may have a unique look and a wonderfully aesthetic website, but if you watch your web metrics you’ll find visitors are leaving the site before they go down the path you worked out in your Internet Marketing Strategy. it may be beautiful, but it’s not effective.
Make that beautiful, unique design into a piece of art and hang it in the boardroom.
Then redesign your website sticking to the conventions your visitors expect – and watch the stats rise.
