Your web page and your shoes have the same problem!
Take off one shoe
Hold it out in front of you and look at the heel
One side is worn more than the other….right?
You’ve been walking crooked!
So what?
Besides wearing out your shoes, your body is not moving forward as smoothly and efficiently as it was designed.
Your web page may be suffering from the same type of problem. It needs a little adjustment so that it operates (makes money, builds your List) as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
Let’s talk…
Three simple and correctable problems you can fix right now:
First and most importantly is the load-time of your site.
Go to another computer and pull up your site. How quickly AND smoothly does it load? Any slow spots, do the pics take time to load? Graphics? Links? Site speed is imperative to success. Is your site Host the best choice for your site? Is it fast? Does it continually update its operating systems?
Some statistics from ‘Econsultancy’, May 2013. (The most worldwide statistics and market data publicly available on online marketing, e-commerce, the internet and related digital media):
- Slow loading websites cost retailers $2.6 Billion in 2012
- 38% of UK online shoppers will abandon websites or apps that take more than 10 seconds to load
- Google considers a page to be ‘slow’ if it takes longer than 1.5 seconds to load…….and will rank that page accordingly
- 72% of Google users will not go past the first page of search results
- 74% of website shoppers will abandon after waiting only 5 seconds for a site to load
- The average internet marketer’s homepage takes 3.50 seconds to load
- Product pages as long as 15 seconds
The average attention span of an online shopper is 2 seconds!
Just a short time ago if we could hold shoppers on our sites for 5 seconds it was considered successful.
As the attention span of consumers get shorter and shorter…the potential for financial loses will get greater and greater.
How fast does your web page load?
Check out these sites for a free road test:
- Firebug plug-in for Firefox
- the Developer Tools in Google Chrome (press Shift + Control + I, and then go to Resources → Enable Resource Tracking)
- Yahoo YSlow
Second; how’s your site typography?
The type and size fonts, the colors, the total number of characters in a line, the total lines per paragraph, the number of pages, the pics/graphics, the size of the header, etc. all create the ‘typography’ of your site.
If Starbucks took away the leather chairs, the warm earthy colors, the rugs, the wooden tables, and the soft lighting, wouldn’t they be just a store with expensive coffee? Starbucks conducts endless research worldwide to insure that they have created just the right atmosphere for each of their coffee shops to insure their local guests keep coming back for more of their expensive coffee.
Atmosphere……typography!
Think about your landing page in the same way. Is it visually appealing? Easy to navigate? Does reading it flow smoothly?
Page typography is not something customers look for….it’s something they feel.
Similar to a great Subject Line or Title, the visual experience to your site must capture their attention and make them curious and comfortable enough to stay.
TIPS:
- High-res pics look great but that quality requires increased load time. Insert hyperlinks of product pics to another page for interested shoppers.
- Graphics slow load times, and create a lot of ‘white space’ = slow; use sparingly
Third, and rapidly becoming number one
Your site must be mobile ready. Some call it ‘mobile responsive’. Whatever you call it the bottom line is more and more shoppers are using hand held digital devices to do their research.
There are more smart-phone purchases in the world each day than babies born (almost twice as many)!
Most online shoppers use digital hand held devices (smart-phones, Ipads, etc.) to do their research, though currently, only about 2% will make the purchase with the same device.
You won’t keep impatient shoppers on your landing page if they have to pinch, scrunch, scroll, zoom, and squint to read your content on their hand held digital device. Their first impression of your landing page will determine if they spend another second (literally) on your site. Make your landing page(s) mobile friendly.
Don’t you suppose that shoppers doing research on hand held devices will soon convert to buyers from hand held devices? Of course they will.
If your load times are too slow, first impressions are out of alignment, and/or your layout is uncomfortable and unimpressive…your content will never be viewed.
Stand up straight, eyes looking forward, and keep your chin up.
That’ll keep your body in line and save your shoes.
Now follow these 3 simple tips and you’ll increase your conversion rates and build your Lists.
Talk soon,
-Jonathan
Hey, got lots of comments last week. Thank you to each of you. Always good to hear from you.