Web users have short attention spans. They are on your site voluntarily and aren't willing to work hard to figure it out. Functions must be more than self-explanatory; they must be self-evident. Frustrate visitors with an awkward interface, and they'll be gone in seconds. Delight visitors with an enjoyable experience, and you'll turn them into repeat customers.
On the web, leaving is the user's first line of defense. With so many other websites available, users won't invest much time figuring out how your website works. If they encounter problems, they'll simply leave.
Remember the first law of ecommerce: if users can't find your product or service, they can't buy it either. Good usability makes it easier for users to find what they're looking for… and to buy it once they've found it.
There are many poorly designed Websites. So when customers find one that works well, they gain trust in the organization and are more likely to become repeat customers.
If a website is easy to use, more users will complete their tasks unaided. If a website is confusing, users may require costly assistance from your sales or support staff.
Few investments can match the ROI of optimized usability. Though there may be significant start-up costs in identifying and repairing usability issues, such costs are soon recovered by increased sales or other conversions.
What kind of customer experience is your site delivering? And how do you know? To you, your website's functions are obvious. But you and your in-house team are too close to your website to evaluate it impartially.
The only way to ensure your website is performing optimally is to commission a rigorous, third-party usability evaluation.
