Revamping or building a new website? Our 6 wins for effective user navigation

• Clear call to action. Right at the top
• Bread crump navigation (no flash)
• Follow the grid
• Ample white spaces
• Balanced text and graphics
• Consistent branding throughout (header, footer)

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• Email Mauricio Escoba Mármol (Senior Consultant @ eDigital).
• Follow Mauricio on Twitter - LinkedIn - Facebook.

Key Intakes from keynote Sheyrl Sandberg COO Facebook at the the Association of National Advertisers convention in Phoenix

• Facebook shouldn’t be the only thing marketers do online or in marketing. It should just be part of everything they do.
• “Social by design” was her fundamental takeaway for marketers, echoing what’s fast becoming the pre-eminent marketing catch phrase of 2011, and standing for a strategy in which the glue that holds together marketing plan is designing all elements to amplify or be amplified by social media. 
•  Overall, fb sharing is doubling every year via “Zuckerberg’s Law,” she noted, but the number of daily fan page “likes” also has doubled in the past year to 100 million daily.
• She mentioned: “If you look at the numbers for almost any brand, but certainly any brand that’s invested any time or effort on Facebook, the number of people who are your Facebook friends massively dwarfs the number of people who visit your website,” Ms. Sandberg said. “So I think one of the questions this industry needs to ask itself is why? Why continue to build as many microsites as we do when we know it’s so much easier to reach people where they already are?”
• She added that, “We are big supporters of everything you do online and think you should be doing more not less.” But she noted that “other ads only talk one way,” whereas operating within Facebook with “for the first time, real identity, real relationships, real personalization, marketing can really fulfill its promise.”
• Citing data from Nielsen, she said Facebook significantly outperforms other online media for reach either against narrow or broad targets, thanks in part to the friends-of-friends effect.
• She also delivered what many marketers have found lacking from their early social-media efforts — case studies with hard numbers showing sales lift from Facebook-centered programs.
• American Express’s “Small Business Saturday” program following last November’s Black Friday, using Facebook at its core but also executed through other local media such as newspaper advertising, produced a 28% sales lift vs. 9% year over year for retailers overall that day, she said.
• A Hong Kong-based “social by design” campaign for Kimberly-Clark Corp.’s Huggies got people to upload their baby photos to the brand’s fan page, then placed those photos in montages on bus and subway ads. The result, Ms. Sandberg said, was a 4.2% increase in market share and “by far the best quarter in Huggies’ Hong Kong history.”

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• CALL US ON +61431324899
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The customer experience deficit - Opportunities for Growth in the Retail Industry

As customers now move between online and offline channels…websites, mobile, apps, stores, tv, catalogues, telephone calls, social media; it is extremely important for brands to offer seamless customer experiences across different touch points.

HeadLondon assessed 100 UK retailers customer experience and included real sales correlation with Oxford Economics data Retailers sales data.

Below are the key findings if you have not had the chance to read through the HeadLondon research:

Enable customers to choose a purchase path that suits them best and his/her data to be updated on multiple channels.

Successful retailers offer customers the opportunity to move between touch points with contextual and relevant customized information. Customer browsing and purchase data channel transferal is key. Tesco does a great job on allowing customers to have a consistent view of past purchases on all channels.

Create links between channels

Carefully plan the consumer journey between channels (touch points).

Use mobile websites and mobile apps appropiately.

The Study found that using branded utility makes apps desirable.

Apps are not suitable for casual encounter with retailers. As users make an effort to downloaded, they have to provide real value. They work for loyal, repeat customers.

My tip: Apps that helps users achieve a goal or solve issues on the go are powerful.

Mobile websites unlike apps are perfect for casual interactions. Ensure your mobile website solve a need that your consumers might quicly need to have access on the go.

Treat customers support as a critical part of customer experience

The most advance retailers were found using social media to address customer service issues. ASOS was one great example of resolving customer issues on social media channels. EasyJet was another great example using twitter to respond to passengers questions and complains.

Merchadising a Digital Store.

In-store experiences were found already rich and seductive with hard-to-resist environments. However, the report indicated that online product display is better described as “finding” rather than “shopping”. Majority of online shopping carts are  long, flat product listings organized by category. While users browse online pages, there is no inspiration (as opposed in-store). H&M demonstrated some of the best online merchandising through trend based content and the dressing room feature where users can put products together and buy the whole lot in a click.

Personalizing online.

Personalization technology can offer tailor online experience to individual customers that cannot be achieved in the physical store. Retailers need to build knowledge databases around customer habits, likes, items bought and other behaviours. Retailers then can use that information to make relevant recommendations. Ocado was nominated as top one on this category. I would say Amazon does a great job too.

What brands should do to make service innovation happening

- Scrutinize customer behaviour and needs.

- Offer compelling and indispensable experiences to meet those needs in-store, online and mobile.

There was an interesting page that defined “What makes an exceptional shopping experience today”

Below are findings:

- Cross Channel personalization: offer recommendations based on what users have previously bought via any channel.

- User selections (basket and wish list) persist across-channels, alternatives, ranges or matching items are offered.

- Ability to reserve in one channel and purchase via another.

- Fullfilment info to be provided across channels (email, mobile, sms)

- Unexpected but pleasant surprises on receipt of an order. Example: wrapping, scents, gifts.

- The customers is encouraged to contact the retailer at any time from any channel inc social media and receives a direct, prompt and relevant response.

- The customer is able to sef-serve for common queries. For example, finding manuals, answers to common questions, getting additional product support.

HeadLondon  report writers were Paul Jervis-Heath and Lola Oyelayo.

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• CALL US ON +61431324899
• Check Mauricio Escobar (eDigital Director) experience and recommendations on his LinkedIn profile.
• Connect with eDigital on Facebook
• Find out eDigital Sydney SEO services from Sydney SEO consultants and Sydney SEO experts. We offer SEO audits and content optimisation advice.
• Check out eDigital Social Media Strategy and Social Media Management services.

Are you looking to create or improve your website? Below are what websites that rock have in common:

• Uncluttered: successful websites allow visitors to quickly scan information. Clean designed websites that promotes the right amount of information are the winners. 
• Credibility: They offer credibility clues such as: - professional design (great look and feel) - business history - case studies - address - phone numbers - awards - videos - testimonials - experts and celebrities opinions.
• Quality content: They create unique and relevant content related to their top products/services. They do it through expert opinion articles, reviews, “how to” articles, it is not what you think it is important, it is understanding what your consumers/clients think it is important and offering relevant content about it.
• Visitor details capture and segmentation: Successful websites know when it is the precise time to ask for visitor details information. Do not ask if there is not a strong reason for visitors to leave their details.
• Conversion: Measurable activity in Google analytics and optimize accordingly.
• Buzz: successful websites allow visitors to like, comment and upload new and relevant content. They make use of blogging platforms and social media widgets.
• Responsive and approachable: Successful websites communicate what visitors can expect and are responsive to any queries or questions.

Hope the below helps you prioritize the key areas when improving or creating your website.

I am happy to assist project managing your website revamp.

Cheers

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