The Science of Marketing

A recent study by web usability guru, Jakob Nielsen, shows that people are becoming much less patient when they go on line.

Shocker!

Everyone knows that people are getting more and more impatient in all aspects of life – IRL and well as URL. (Just drive around Boston for five minutes and you will see impatience in action.) So, as you’re picking yourself off the floor after hearing this revelation, let me say that the study does have some interesting data that could impact how you architect your web site.

First a bit of good news. The study says that in the last ten years, web success rates (which measure whether someone achieves what they set out to achieve) have climbed from 60% to 75%. Nielsen cites people’s comfort level with interactivity and better web designs – so we’re on the right path.

Now, here’s where you may need to take action.

• In 2004, 40% of web users went to a home page and then drilled down (the other 60% went right to where they wanted to go).
• In 2008, those numbers are 25% and 75%.

"Basically, search engines rule the web," says Nielsen.

I think there is one big web design/marketing implication of this study.

Every page on your web site has to be designed as a landing page – either informational or transactional. Don’t expect users to follow a logical chain of links to get to where you want them to go.

Anyone else have any opinions of the implications of Nielsen’s study?

You can read a BBC article about the Nielsen study here.

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