Type in my email address. Can’t miss the error message: “Missing or Invalid Information.” OK, I try my gmail address. Same result. I try my hotmail address. Same thing.

Now I’ve run out of options and have to find a phone number (pretty well hidden under the “Customers” tab). When I speak with a rep I’m told “you have to enter your COMCAST e-mail address.” I didn’t even remember I had a Comcast email address; never used it before. I enter it and login successfully.

This makes me wonder why they don’t tell you “Your user name is your Comcast email address” and how many support calls they could avoid by adding one word.

File this under “Not thinking about your website from your visitors’ point of view.”

– Smacking Head Against Wall

Dear SHAW,

Take two aspirin. Here’s how I’d present it to the CEO.

1. Objectivity. It’s the one thing nobody in your company has. This includes the Director of Sales (DOS). Why does that matter? Because a successful website keeps the focus on visitors and helps them achieve their goals. Many companies fall into the trap of navel-gazing (we do this, we do that) without ever thinking about what visitors really need.




2. Are you offering some off-the-shelf commodity to your clients? If so, an off-the-shelf website is fine. If not, you want an online identity of your own. A less than top-notch design will undermine your brand and your message.




3. The ability to easily make edits, add PDFs, videos and other documents is essential. The staff should not have to learn Dreamweaver and call me Claire Voyent but I predict that DOS isn’t always going to be available to make updates.




4. We frequently review corporate sites where the only call to action is a link to the contact page (“See? There it is in the footer!”) and then there’s no contact form, auto-reply, or staff notification.




5. Your website should be the hub of your marketing strategy. Does DOS know how to make this happen? Can he integrate the various elements with a consistent look and feel? Search Engine Optimization, if it’s a consideration, needs to be figured into the content and structure of the site.




6. There’s plenty to keep DOS busy, what with your blog, Facebook, Twitter, Slideshare, newsletter etc. Why add web design and development to the list?




7. What about the optimal hosting environment? Download speeds? Compliance with web standards? Browser compatibility issues? Does DOS know how to make sure the site looks OK in IE8? Even web professionals find this tricky sometimes.




8. Who will manage DOS? The CEO? When we develop a site we include a project schedule with a timeline and milestones and we manage the project to make sure it stays on track.




9. A good website lays the foundation for future growth. You shouldn’t have to start from scratch a year down the road when DOS or the CEO realizes it needs to do something it can’t do.




10. Finally, doesn’t DOS have anything else to do? Our most successful clients are really busy doing their jobs, not trying to do work for which they are less (or un) qualified. DOS is not SELLING if he’s designing and building websites. What’s his time worth? That needs to get figured into the do-it-yourself cost.

Anybody have a success story or horror story to share? Names may be changed to protect the innocent.

ONE: Attract the right people to your site.

Search Engine optimization (SEO) and Pay-per-click (PPC)
We research the best keywords to target, use them effectively on your pages, and develop in-bound links that are so important in the Search Engine algorithms. Be advised, SEO takes time. If you’re looking for immediate results, we will set-up and monitor your Google AdWords PPC campaign to ensure a positive ROI. (Read a case study).

Email marketing and email newsletters
With a strategy for delivering information your clients and prospects want, an email newsletter can build loyalty, enhance your reputation, and generate inquiries. We provide custom HTML templates, easy subscriber management and understandable reporting. (See a sample of our newsletter).

Online PR
The traditional press release has morphed into a direct consumer-communication channel. We’re using keyword-rich press releases to connect directly to potential clients. Your online press release can reach thousands of websites and drive visitors to your site.

Blogs and Social Media Marketing (SMM)
An active blog, LinkedIn profile or Twitter account provides additional visibility. But unless you have a huge staff and a lot of money, you can’t do it all. So we’ll help you focus your efforts in a way that is manageable and effective.

TWO: Demonstrate your credibility.

Professional website design
Your site must have a professional look and feel that reflects your company and sets you apart from your competitors. Visitors judge your page in as little as 1/20 of a second! Their first impression influences their perception of the rest of your site, if they decide to stick around. (See our web design portfolio).

Ease of use
Good site navigation tells visitors where they are and what their options are. If they can’t find what they’re looking for, they’re not likely to contact you.

Up-to-date content
Nothing undermines your credibility faster than outdated content. Refinery CMS is our open-source, super-easy-to-use content manager that makes it simple for you to update and expand your site (without having to pay technical staff or outside contractors).

THREE: Provide the information and tools your visitors need.

Address the needs of your visitors
Effective copy speaks to your visitors in an appropriate “voice” and address their most obvious concerns. It highlights your strengths, differentiates you from your competition, and answers the age-old question: “What’s in it for me?”

Identify different visitor types
We help you identify and segment visitors based on their motivation and stage in the buying cycle. Recognizing these differences, we can provide relevant content keeps people engaged, builds trust and leads to more conversions.

Give them the facts and avoid the fluff
Your visitors may be looking for case studies or white papers. They may be inspired by testimonials. They might appreciate a buyer’s guide or instructional video. We define and create engaging content that convinces prospects to take the next step.

FOUR: Motivate them to take action (convert).

The conversion balance
On one side, Success Factors build trust and confidence and lead to conversions. On the other, Failure Factors undermine trust and confidence and lead to abandonment. If, in the mind of the visitor, the success factors outweigh the failure factors, he or she will convert. While a conversion technically happens in a single step, it’s not an isolated one. It is the result of a series of small decisions.

Minimize the failure factors
Failure factors generate anxiety. Create barriers. Undermine the motivation of your visitors and interfere with your ability to build a relationship. We minimize the failure factors with simple navigation, clear hierarchy and benefits-oriented copy.

Maximize the success factors
Success factors provide positive reinforcement. When visitors feel like they’re in the right place we earn their trust and the opportunity to build a relationship. That’s how we encourage them to read on, click to the next step, submit a form, or pick up the phone.

FIVE: Measure, analyze, test and improve.

Google Analytics
We set up all our clients with Google Analytics to gain insight into how visitors use your website and the effectiveness of our online marketing. Flexible and easy-to-use features help us analyze your traffic data, improving SEO and PPC campaigns, engaging your visitors more deeply, and increasing your conversion rate.

Search Engine Ranking Reports
For our SEO clients we provide monthly Search Engine ranking reports for all your top keywords. It demonstrates if our optimization efforts are effective (i.e. are rankings going up or down?).

User Testing
You can’t be objective about your own site, and after we’ve worked on it, neither can we. That’s where user testing comes in. It provides a valuable perspective which, in conjunction with our experience and professional judgment, leads to better decisions.

Go back to Step 1
Yes, the process is cyclical. The best websites are always “works in progress.” With each cycle, we learn more and build on the success of our earlier efforts.

Any feedback or suggestions? Anything that has worked well for your site? We’d love to get your comments.

1. Make it easy to find
This is often the first and biggest problem― it isn’t easy to find your contact page. Make sure the link is obvious, viewable without scrolling and on every page.

2. Include a contact form
Many sites have only a phone number and email link on the contact page. So why do you need a form? Email may be lost in spam filters or junk mail folders. A form avoid those risks, allows you to request specific information, and send an auto-reply message so your prospect knows you received the inquiry.

3. Require ONLY essential information
Require only information that is absolutely necessary. It might be as simple as name, email, and comments. Make sure all required fields are clearly indicated: Don’t make them guess!

4. Offer basic instructions and a benefit
“Please send us your inquiry by completing the form below” or “Contact us for a free consultation.” Keep it simple and offer a benefit: “We’re here to help” or “Let us help you achieve your goals.” Make sure your button says something other than “submit.”

5. Ask visitors how they’d like to be contacted?
Some people prefer to get a phone call. Others want an email reply. It is courteous to give them the option and set their expectations (i.e. “We’ll get back to you within 24 hours”).

6. Provide a thank you page and auto-reply email
You have an opportunity to demonstrate great customer service by providing useful information on your “thank you” page and auto-reply email: event invitations, white papers, etc.

7. Offer alternative ways to interact with your company
There are all sorts of opportunities for your prospects to connect with you. Can they sign up for your newsletter, visit your blog, your LinkedIn profile, Facebook page or Twitter account?

8. Include your physical address or mailing address
Providing only your email address and phone number is not adequate. Even if clients don’t visit your office they may still want to know your physical location: Where do they send your check?

9. Include a link to your Privacy Policy
Even though few click on it, a link to or summary of your privacy policy (like “We value your privacy”) provides reassurance for people who are about to hit the “please contact me” button.

10. Provide directions
A link to Google maps makes it easy for people to get directions to your office. It’s free and takes just a few minutes to set up. If you’re trying to get people to visit your location it’s a good idea to also include a photo.

11. Add CAPTCHA
CAPTCHA is a free tool that reduces spam submissions by asking visitors to decipher a distorted text image or answer a simple question to submit the form. OK, this is more for you than for your visitors but you may eventually want to implement it. Get CAPTCHA here.

12. Test your contact form
This may be the most important tip of all: Test your contact form monthly. You’d be amazed at how many times we’ve evaluated websites with broken forms or forms that generate error messages. Don’t let that happen to you!

In-bound links from directory sites can improve your site’s Search Engine rankings. When they come from a professional membership organization they can also deliver prospects who are interested in your services. But should you pay extra for the link?

One of our clients asked: We could pay the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) $100/year to upgrade our listing in their firm search to include a link to our website. It seems kind of expensive since we’re already paying them dues. How valuable do you think this would be?

Not very, because it’s just too hard to find the member directory.

Visiting the ASLA home page to find landscape architects in San Francisco, I tried going to Membership>Member Directory. Clearly not the right page. Nothing to help me understand I was looking for something they call “Firm Finder.”

It took effort and persistence to locate “Firm Finder” under About Us>Directories. The ASLA doesn’t make it easy for people to use the site to find a landscape architect. How many visitors abandon the site and use Google to find a landscape architect instead?

I did a search for “San Francisco” on the Firm Finder. 112 results. Only 1 firm has a link. Clearly, the consensus is it’s not worth the extra fee to get a link.

From the visitors’ perspective, every listing should include a link to the member’s website. It makes Firm Finder a much more useful tool (assuming you can find it).

If the ASLA is trying to generate revenue there are other ways of up-selling enhanced listings to their members. Links should be free, because they improve the user experience.

I’ve just registered for alltop.com. If you’re not familiar with it, Alltop collects headlines of the latest stories from websites and blogs that cover just about any topic. They group these collections on individual web pages and display the five most recent headlines (see below).

Alltop is the brilliant idea of entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki and Guy doesn’t need any advice from me. But I have some anyway.

A search for “User Interface” provides 48 results. Randomly clicking around, I start visiting some of the sites and blogs. According to their welcome email: “Once you’ve found a topic you like, click the + sign to add the website or blog to your page.”

I found a couple blogs I liked, clicked the plus sign, and it changed to a checkmark. Fine. But I also visited a few sites I decided NOT to add. The problem is: On a page with 48 sites I can’t tell which ones I’ve already been to.

It’s ironic that I’m looking for “user interface” but my advice applies to all the collections pages. Visited links should be a different color. It’s a 2-minute fix that would make the user experience better.

Let me start by saying I love Method.

Great products, great design, great attitude. Not so great website. Don’t get me wrong, it’s clean, clever and engaging. But the navigation is a real problem.

I received and opened their monthly email. Giant photo of pink grapefruit hand soap (which, by the way, should be a link, but isn’t). I go to their home page. “Explore the collection” by “Type” > “Handcare” (strangely, ‘Soap’ is not a product type) > “Handwash“

The problem is unless I move my cursor in a particular path (to the right, and then up) I can’t get to “Handwash.” The expanding menus are fiddly, sensitive and annoying. It’s like being forced to cross at the crosswalk when you’re in the middle of the block and your destination is right across the street. Of course, you’re not going to be hit by a car in this case, but the navigation does prevent you from moving your mouse in a natural way.

I finally get to pink grapefruit hand soap after several attempts. But I decide that product is not what I want, so I use my “Back” button. This takes me not to the menu, but back to the home page, and I have to start all over again. &%#$*@!

Good websites are a synthesis of design, content and usability. Method has good design and content, but it needs to fix the navigation madness.

Bing,

Simple, elegant design and great photography – Each day Bing shows a different background image on the home page. Powerful, beautiful, but totally non-intrusive. Makes Google’s home page look boring: all the charm of Craig’s List with more white space.

More useful results with “Quick Preview”
When you receive your search results you can rollover a little orange dot on the right side and preview the page without clicking on it. It shows a summary of the content plus relevant internal links. Helps you decide if the result is relevant and worth clicking on. Here is Resolve Digital‘s listing (#11 for San Francisco Web Design) showing the  quick preview feature in action.

Left navigation options
Doing a search for “herbal dog treats,”  in addition to the Search Results there’s a left navigation with Related Searches (including, Natural, Organic and Holistic dog treats) Useful. Below that is my Search History. Also useful.

Shopping results
The results include the typical listings, plus product photos. Nice. The left nav helps you search by Brand, Price, Cashback, etc. Very useful.

Cashback Feature
With a Windows Live ID you’re eligible for Bing’s cash-back feature. Find out how cash back works for eligible purchases.

Enhanced map features
Add to Collection feature allows you to make notes, tags, and share your map.  You can add a pushpin, draw a path, mark an area and modify the style of your map.

Pay-per-Click opportunities
The most obvious difference with Google’s results pages is a lack of “sponsored links” on Bing. This seems like a huge benefit for advertisers who can take advantage of this opportunity while it lasts.

To summarize, the more time I spend with Bing the more I like it. Will it overtake Google? In some ways, it already has.

The purpose of Portfolio Day is to provide useful feedback and constructive criticism. By the end of the day a clear theme had emerged: The rules of good web design apply equally well to real world communication like resumes and portfolios.

• Keep it simple
• Know and speak to your target audience
• Don’t expect people to read a lot
• Make it easy for people to do business with you
• Define your unique strengths

Online, we live or die on these principles because it’s so easy for visitors to click to another site. Guess what? The same is true if somebody has a stack of 100 resumes to review. You’d better make a connection quickly if you want to lead or inspire the reviewer to place your resume in the “set up interview” folder.

The most surprising revelation was that only 1 of the 6 job hunters had any online presence (a blog, but even that wasn’t on his resume). I just don’t get it. There are free and easy options to create a site or blog. I’m no Marty Nemko, but with so few job openings and so many job seekers I’d want to make it easy for a prospective employer to see a sample of my work, get a sense of who I am. You don’t need to show or tell them everything, just enough to convince them to take the time to set up an interview.

On the web we think of it as meeting the needs of our audience. As a job hunter, your audience consists of a handful of prospective employers inundated by a sea of applicants. Putting yourself in their position and figuring out how to meet their needs is, in my opinion, the best strategy to achieve your goals.

We were recently asked to do a web evaluation for a small construction company. Among our top recommendations:

• Change your graphic text to HTML and add geographic modifiers if you want any chance of getting found in the Search Engines
• Clarify what you do
• Add calls-to-action
• Add biographical information
• Describe the projects you show so we understand what you did

When the client shared our review with his web designer the response was terrific. “I am rebuilding your site so it IS NO FLASH at our cost. An HTML site.” No question about it, that’s an exceptional, generous offer.

But then he went on to wiggle out of taking responsibility for the site:

• Your site was never intended to be a Response site, it was simply to be a portfolio
• Having whom ever review what we’ve done … without any briefing is exactly like having Joe or Erin review any of your houses with the customer. Without them knowing what the homeowner asked for or seeing the plans.
• We have reasons to do what we do based on the input we get from the client. I looked at his site [Resolve Digital] & examples and I can guarantee you I can find some thing that I would not have done. Different styles, different takes… There are so many ways to skin a cat.

Right, but we’re not professional cat skinners. As web designers, a big part of our job is to inform our clients so they can make educated decisions about what’s best for their business. After all, they’re coming to us because we’re the experts! We don’t always agree with their decisions, but at least we get them thinking about the purpose and goals of their site (and how people are going to find it, how they’re going to keep it up-to-date, etc).

Anyone visiting a website reviews what the web designer has done without any briefing. That is exactly what happens in the mind of every visitor. They make a series of small judgments and either leave the site or continue on to accomplish their goal.

Visitors never know what the website owner asked for or get to see the plans. Nobody cares. We only know what we can see and do on the site. And if we can’t see or do what we want, we click to another site. Cat Skinned. End of Story.