Appsifter LLC © 2012 A VISUAL MARKETING AGENCY 1

Hunt and Peck: How People Really See Your Website

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We glance, browse, and multitaskThat little gem first appeared on the Web in 2003 and it does a great job of illustrating how we consume information on the Web. We glance, browse, and multitask, and we rarely, if ever, digest information the way marketers and web designers intended.

Despite our intelligence, we read only bits and pieces on the Web. On average, we spend less than 30 seconds on a Web page. Research has shown most of us consistently read titles and headlines and ignore the rest. We look to graphics to explain what the Website is about, and we look for buttons or links to take action.

From the Appsifter Blog

Hunt and Peck: How People Really See Your WebsiteJanuary 30, 2012

Appsifter LLC © 2012 A VISUAL MARKETING AGENCY 2

Web visitor vs. marketing departmentWhy the disparity? How could the Web visitor and the marketer/Web designer be so different? They have different agendas. The average Web visitor has come to your site to either find an answer or complete a task. Most read only what they have to read to complete their task. Just like you, they are very busy people. And they want to find the information they need in the simplest and most direct way possible.

On the other hand, the average marketer has a something to sell and their website includes lots of information about their company, product, or service: why its cost effective, absolutely essential, the next great thing, the list goes on. Often to a fault, their website includes too much of the wrong information. It’s marketing speak, instead of information.

The answer? A user-focused websiteSo, with two very different agendas, how can you bring these two groups together? With a user-focused website, where content is designed with the user in mind, and the marketer relies on smart conversion paths to sell their products.

It’s really a simple idea. Instead of writing and building content from the marketer’s perspective, it’s written and designed for the web visitor. The content is simple, direct, well organized, and it answers their questions. Visitors now come to your site and get what they need.

For the marketer, their focus becomes conversion paths instead of marketing speak. Now that they’re providing useful content, visitors stay longer, and are more inclined to take action. The website design must support conversions with clear steps. The marketer now needs to make sure the visitor knows exactly what to do, what button to click, what form to complete, or how to get in touch with sales.

Next stepsIf your website visitor’s are spending too much time hunting and pecking, perhaps it’s time for user-focused content and a new look to your site. You can work with an expert or you can do some legwork of your own. Ginny Redish’s book, Letting Go of the Words, is a great place to start for advice on your content revisions and to learn more about developing clear conversion paths, take a look at Morgan Brown’s article Stop Designing Pages And Start Designing Flows.

www.appsifter.comWe specialize in custom content marketing projects for B2B and B2C organizations. Whether you're a non-profit, Fortune 500 company, or a startup, we can help you develop a strong content strategy, create unique and engaging content, and build successful lead generation activities.