If you want to know what really happens when people visit your web site, invest in this remarkable service: UserTesting.com At a surprisingly low cost you get a handful of smart people to go over your site and give you candid feedback.
Specifically, you get a video that shows the user’s cursor moving around your site, while a voice quietly feeds a stream of (probably devastating) comments. You will never see your site the same way again — guaranteed. Here’s a synopsis of what I learned about web site visitors:
- They do NOT read copy. They SCAN the page and grab bits of information
- They will MISUNDERSTAND anything that isn’t spelled out in the simplest terms
- They DON’T KNOW what you think they know
- They will COMPLETELY MISS important information that isn’t thrust at them front and center
You won’t get this from my saying so. You have to experience the reality of watching people crawl your site. Be prepared for some knock-you-off-your-chair education!