10 GREAT REASONS TO SOCIAL MARKET
Web 2.0, 3.0, blah.0. Whatever label you want to give it, today’s Internet is all about interaction and providing customers with real reasons to care about what you’re doing. Here are 10.0 reasons to use social networks to your advantage.
Research shows that web users cannot find the information they’re seeking about 60% of the time. Follow these usability tips to increase your website's usability. You’ll offer users a more enjoyable and informative experience that will keep them coming back for more.
Make links visible
Provide site wide links that are highly visible, allow easy navigation to all pages, and reduce time consumed on browsing the pages. Your user can have instant access to what he is looking for from any webpage using site-wide links. They also allow search engine bots to cache your pages efficiently. Site wide links can be provided at the bottom of all web-pages.
Lead With Breadcrumbs
Use Breadcrumb navigation to allow one-click access to higher site levels and show users their current location.
Get To the Point
Always answer “what’s in it for me?” State up front what you website offers visitors by providing relevant information on the homepage. You can also provide links like 'about us' or 'about this website' for further clarification.
Provide a Sitemap
The best websites have sitemaps. Sitemaps show the framework of an entire website on a single webpage with links and lead to more efficient browsing.
Respect Users’ Time
Design pages to download in a maximum of 2-10 seconds. Reuse header graphics so they can load from cache. Avoid excessive scrolling.
Keep Format Consistent
Keep your site consistent from page to page. Don't surprise visitors with a different format on other pages that forces them to rethink about how to go about continuing with the browsing process.
Make Information Accessible
Hiding away valuable content for registered users presents a frustrating barrier for visitors and is a great way to drive away traffic.
Choose Colours Carefully
Use a light font on a dark background or a dark font on a light background. Browser and monitors are different so you can never be sure how colors will render.
Don’t Over Paginate Readers get frustrated when they get to the bottom of the page and find a set of pagination links. They have to load several pages to finish reading the article. It’s also bad for search engine optimization.
Go Easy On Multimedia
Use multimedia sparingly to attract attention to specific information. Don’t allow it to distract users with too much movement that slows reading and comprehension. Also stick to plain backgrounds behind text. Always keep your audience in mind. Do they have high speed access? Don’t assume everyone has the latest technology.
Jakob Nielsen is considered to be the world’s leading web usability expert. His eye-tracking studies reveal that users read content that resembles an F shape. Reading starts from the upper left of the web page, then moves down a little starting from the left again.
Rather than reading a web page word by word, users scan important paragraphs, bold text, etc. The first two paragraphs are essential and must contain the most pertinent information visitors are looking for. Sub headings and bulleted lists also stand out from paragraph blocks and notify users of important information.
WHY OPTIMIZE YOUR WEBSITE?
Website that cannot be found on search engines lose business and income. Search engines generate nearly 85 percent of all website traffic. You’re missing out on an opportunity if your website can’t be found in the first pages of local search engine results.
Studies have shown that 62 percent of all search engine users tend to click the links on the first page of the search results; 90 percent click on a link within the first three pages. So if you aren’t listed on the first three pages, it is unlikely your website will be found.
A significant number of Internet users form opinions about businesses based on where they appear in local search engine listings. According to a study conducted by iProspect in affiliation with Jupiter Research, 36 percent of search engine users believe that companies that appear at the top of search results are actually leaders in their fields.
Source: iProspect, Jupiter Research
THE FUTURE OF THE INTERNET
Here are some surprise research statistics to keep in mind as you evolve your e-marketing strategy:
The mobile device will be the primary connection tool to the Internet for most people in the world in 2020
It took 20 years for the first billion cell phones to sell, 4 for the second billion and 2 for the third billion. About 15% of cell phones are internet enabled as of the end of 2008.
- Source: PEW “The Future of the Internet III” The third in a series of reports by the PEW Internet and American Life Project based on surveys of experts about the future of the world.
Social networking sites are officially more popular than pornography sites.
- Source: Time, October 2007
73% of active online worldwide users have read a blog
45% have started their own blog
39% subscribe to an RSS feed
57% have joined a social network
55% have uploaded photos
83% have watched online video clips
- Source: Universal McCann Comparative Study on Social Media Trends April 2008
