What do you want people to do before they leave your website?
Your Web site might be so full of pages, links, graphics and interaction that you forget why you built it in the first place! Here's the most important question to ask: What is the single most important action you want a Web site visitor to take?
Or, to put it another way:
What is the last thing you want them to do before they leave your Web site?
For example:
•If you sell products or services directly, you want them to go to your shopping cart, fill in their credit card details, and actually buy something.
•You might want them to pick up the phone and call you.
•You might want them to send you an enquiry by e-mail.
•If you're a wholesale brand or a franchise owner, you might want them to locate a retailer or franchisee and contact them directly.
Whatever the outcome for your business, make sure you make it simple - almost simplistic - for them to take that action.
This might seem too obvious to even bother saying, but you would be surprised how complicated some Web sites are when it comes to this most important part of their site visitor's interaction.
Even if your Web site doesn't sell products or services directly, that doesn't let you off the hook! Think again about the last thing you want people to do before they leave your site, and make sure it's easy for them to do it.
For example, if you want them to pick up the phone and call you:
•Is your phone number shown prominently on every page (not just hidden away on a Contact Us page)?
•Do you show area codes for long-distance callers?
•Do you offer a toll-free number to encourage calls?
•Do you clearly show your opening times or available times for people to call?
•If you have more than one phone number (for example, for Accounts, Sales and Support), is it immediately obvious which number they should call?
As another example, if you want them to e-mail you to take the next step:
•Is your e-mail address shown prominently on every page (not just hidden away on a Contact Us page)?
•Do you show an actual e-mail address, rather than forcing people to fill in a form?
•Do you explain how e-mail queries get answered - for example, giving an estimate of how quickly you will reply?
•If you have more than one e-mail address, is it immediately obvious which address they should use for their situation?
If you already have a Web site, you might think you're doing everything right to get the response you want. But go through the process again, this time walking through it in your Web site visitor's shoes. You might be surprised to see how many obstacles you've inadvertently put in their place.
Gihan Perera CSP
www.gihanperera.com
About Gihan Perera
Gihan Perera is an entrepreneur, business consultant, speaker, mentor, author and interviewer. In 1997, when the Web was young, spam was just a luncheon meat, and Google wasn't even a twinkle in its owners' eyes, Gihan founded First Step Communications, one of Australia's earliest Web design businesses. Since that time, it's grown to include clients in every continent (except Antarctica).