| Can your online customers tell what you're selling | | | | First paragraph: "We provide Human Resources |
| within five seconds of landing on your home | | | | consulting, including: |
| page? | | | | - Recruitment and selection |
| Wait - only five seconds? Yes; unfortunately, | | | | - Policies and Procedures |
| that's all you have to tell people what you do | | | | - Learning and development |
| before they click away. There's disagreement | | | | - Performance review systems |
| among usability specialists about just how long | | | | - People management training |
| people take to assess a home page. Some say | | | | - Employee satisfaction/ organisational climate |
| it's even shorter than that, possibly as low as 1.5 | | | | surveys." |
| seconds. | | | | This lets your customers see exactly who you |
| Website owners often say things like "All that | | | | are and what you offer within five seconds. |
| detail is right there in the services section. People | | | | Does your website pass the five second test? To |
| can just click there if they want to see what we | | | | see if your website passes the five second "what |
| do." The problem is, if people can't tell whether | | | | do we do" test, try this experiment. Simply show |
| that's worth their while or not, they simply won't. | | | | your business's home page to five people. These |
| Think of your own behaviour online. Do you | | | | people should be strangers - not your family, your |
| bother fully investigating every site you click on, | | | | friends, your workmates, who all know what your |
| digging deep into their services section and their | | | | company is selling. Ask them "What does this |
| long paragraphs of text? Or do you keep clicking | | | | company do?" Don't give any hints. Don't mention |
| through to other sites until one grabs your | | | | the site is yours. And listen closely to the |
| attention? As the business owner, you can be so | | | | answers: are they very closely aligned to your |
| familiar with what you're selling, it's hard to | | | | offering? If not, consider the following changes: |
| remember what it's like not to know. You can't | | | | - Change the tagline |
| "unknow" it. You can't experience what it's like for | | | | - Include informative buttons (eg "HR consulting |
| a newcomer to interact with your business online | | | | services", not just "services") |
| for the first time. | | | | - Include an image that demonstrates your |
| Case study - before | | | | product, if appropriate |
| Business name: XYZ consulting - This business | | | | - Ensure the first paragraph of your home page |
| name doesn't help customers know what the | | | | clearly states what you do. |
| website is about. | | | | - Consider changing the name of the site to |
| Tagline: " We add the plus to your business" says | | | | something that describes what you do. |
| the tagline. This means nothing to someone who | | | | Don't be alarmed if you make these changes and |
| doesn't already know what they do.Accounting? | | | | traffic to your site goes down. These are merely |
| Strategy? Human resources? | | | | people who were never going to buy from you in |
| First paragraph: "XYZ provides small businesses | | | | the first place. What you've done for them is |
| with a cost effective advisory and business | | | | save them time, and they will go away feeling |
| consulting solutions." - OK, they provide advice. | | | | helped, creating goodwill for you and your |
| But customers are unlikely to know what they | | | | business. |
| consult about. Their 1.2 seconds is up. When you | | | | The customers who stay will be the ones who |
| click into their "Services" section, you can see that | | | | really want to explore what you have to offer, |
| they are in the business of HR consulting. | | | | and will feel much more positive about the |
| After | | | | experience. |
| Tagline: HR consulting advice | | | | |