SmallBizNews
Featured Article
Google Focuses on User Experience -
Shouldn't You?
by David Williams - April 11th, 2008
I tell my Web Design and Organic SEO
clients to write copy for the visitors
1st; then consider the search engines.
Don't misunderstand, Keyword and Market
Research is imperative ahead of the
copywriting efforts... However, you have
to have good content to engage your
audience or your bounce rates will will
soar and time on page will drop.
As a search engine consumer I value the
efforts Google puts in to delivering the
most relevant results for my search
queries. And, "Yes", every now and then
I click through from Google only to find
that the site I landed on has little or
nothing to do with my search ~ nobody is
perfect. But for the most part I can see
the evolution of searches and it is
obvious that Google focuses on the user
experience - Shouldn't You?
The Answer is, Yes! My Website should
focus on user experience!
Again,
Keyword Research and Market Research
should be the first step in any new
website design, Website Re-design and
Organic SEO Campaign. However if you are
not writing quality copy that is easy
for visitors to read and understand ~
all is lost.
You might as well open a trendy fashion
store for college age students and put a
sign above the doors that reads, "Oil
changes while you wait." People
coming through your doors will be
expecting a quick oil change and be
unpleasantly surprised when they find
something entirely different when they
get inside your store.
Websites Should Be Visitor Centered in
Web Design and SEO
Do your homework and engage your
visitors:
- Write your copy in the visitors'
language - this is not the time to show
off.
- Focus on user experience - give them
great Copy, Usability and Navigation
Structures
- Make them glad they came by giving
them what they were looking for
Do these things and you will earn their
interest and trust; gaining what I call
'the head nod effect.' This is when a
user searches for answers and/or
products and services and is pleasantly
surprised to find them on your web site.
Don't do these things and I can promise
you your site will be a disappointment
to your target audience and they will
walk away briskly and immediately
increasing your bounce rates and
decreasing the time on page - two
metrics you should be monitoring.
By focusing on your guests using visitor
centered writing, usability and
navigation structure you can achieve a
positive user experience and the long-term
design & SEO results you desire.
Be sure to check out
previous issues of
SmallBizNews for other Internet
Marketing ideas as well. We invite your
ideas, comments and suggestions. |
