Website Design: What Would My Mom Want?
When it comes to electronics, my Mom is relatively illiterate. Computers just weren’t around when she was growing up, and the industry that she worked in really didn’t require them. Technology never played a major role in her life until my sister and I went away to university. At that point, emailing and instant messaging suddenly became a necessary skill. So, in order to prepare my Mom for the throws of the Internet, I sat down and helped her create what we now refer to as “The Computer Bible.” In the C. Bible, I helped her document every step necessary, from log in to log out, for performing simple online tasks. Which is great… until something changes and one of the steps in her C. Bible ceases to work.
Usability Lessons from Mom
Every time I start a new website design layout, I stop and think about the C. Bible, asking myself “What Would Mom Want?” While the actual Bible houses the Ten Commandments, Mom’s C. Bible only has one – simplicity. Simple, intuitive designs make sense to my Mom and everyone else. Over the past few years, my Mom has learned that there are (or should be) a handful of standard design elements on every website she visits. If these design aspects exist, she has no problem using the site, and will likely return in the future. If something doesn’t follow the rules of the C. Bible however, she’ll likely call me to fix it (sorry Mom, no can do!). So, before you start designing your Chatham website, take a book from my Mom’s C. Bible and make sure the following usability features are a functional part of your design:
1) Company Name
Make sure you place your company name and logo smack on the top of of your website, preferably in the top left or right hand corner. Don’t play head games with your online visitors. My Mom wants to know who she’s dealing with the minute she lands on your website. If she can’t figure it out, she’ll likely think she’s gone to the wrong site and start her search again elsewhere.
2) Why Your Company Rocks
You have about 3 seconds to convince an online visitor that they should stay on your website. Make it obvious. On your homepage, clearly define what it is your company does, what products you offer, and why people should trust you.
3) How To Start
When my Mom visits a website, she’s likely there for a specific reason. Either she’s looking for information or she wants to purchase something. Your website design should be simple and intuitive. If your site is primarily retail, place a clear call to action near the top of your homepage that directs shoppers to your online catalogue and begins a conversion funnel. If you’re site is mostly informational, make sure your resources are easy to find and navigate.
4) Include a Help Option
If at any point my Mom gets frustrated on a website, I tell her to look for the “Contact Us” option at the top of the page. If for some reason or other she can’t get a program to download, or she can’t find the item she’s looking for, I tell her to send the company an email, or give them a quick phone call. Having a contact solution is key – without it, people will navigate away from your page and will likely be so frustrated that they’ll never return again.
5) Your Website Design Should Do What it Says it Does!
If a page on your website includes a button that says “Buy Product ABC Now,” you better make darn sure that when my Mom clicks on that button, she ends up on a screen where Product ABC is clearly visible and she’s being asked to insert her preferred payment method. If there’s one thing my Mom hates online, it’s false promises. Don’t over complicate the process by directing your visitors to a subpage before taking them to the checkout. The button said “Buy NOW” not “Buy after you read a short blurb about another product that we want to try and sell you on first.”
Simplicity and usability are important parts of any website design – especially if you want my Mom to continue frequenting your online store.
What usability features do you think are important to a website design? Leave your comment below.
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to funny, my step mom, great lady, knows everything and anything about life but computers well, that is another story, good thing I have patience to teach her things…but she catches on fast. thanks for sharing.