Thursday, January 25, 2007

Designing different paths for different users

When you design business websites, you need to provide different paths for different users.

Searchers, prospects or buyers. Different paths will help them find what they want quickly.

Searchers

When users are searching for information about products or services like the ones you offer, you have the opportunity to show up in their search results.

To increase your chances of being found, put as much as you can, well written and clear informational pages about your products or services in your website.

Your limit is the fact that it can take a lot of time or a lot of money to create these informational pages and once they are created it's recommended to review them at least twice a year.

Prospects

It takes sometime to make a decision.

In the long term a good portion of your visitors will be returning visitors, they will be coming for more information or to buy something, maybe after visiting some of your competitors.

In this path you could entice your visitors to take a specific action, it could be learning more about your products or services, fill out a form, contact a salesperson, try your products or buy them.

Buyers

This visitors are convinced that something that you're offering is right for them.

Make this path as easy, straightforward and rewarding as possible.

In the case of returning customers looking for additional or complementary products or services, you are encouraged to implement a personalized section on your website for them.

Don't distract them. Avoid linking to your previous paths from this one, this is a one way path only.
And once they are on its way, you can show them additional options or special promotions.





http://capmex.biz/web-design/designing-different-paths-for-different-users