Understand your Visitors

Even the simplest site is a lot harder to figure out than a catalogue or brochure. We all know how to "use" a catalogue. Start at the front cover and keep turning the pages. Same deal for every catalogue you touch. It has always been that way and always will be.

If only it were that simple with a web site. Unfortunately that’s not the case. With every new web site we visit, we have to "learn" how it works, how its "pages" turn, how to find what we are looking for.

The fact that no two sites are exactly the same creates a roadblock or speed bump for each new visitor. When they arrive at your site they have to pause, look around and figure out exactly how this "catalogue" works.

Recognise this moment of difficulty and you’ll see that the text on your homepage has to be very clear and has to help direct the visitor forward to the information he or she is looking for.