How many times have you entered a
commercial website and been immediately overwhelmed by chaos, by a seemingly
random morass of disorganized content and graphics? If you're like me, the first
thing you experience when encountering such a site is vertigo; the second
symptom is paralysis; the third, an impulse to flee. Admittedly, designing a
storefront can be a tricky, nuanced task, but if a potential customer is
immediately stunned into immobility, their next step is likely to be escape. And
to be precise, the customer has just experienced the Hamlet Effect of poor web
design.
Hamlet, as we know, was the 'Prince of
Inaction'. Overwhelmed by disorder and confusion, he fell victim to despair,
paralysis - - and surely, despair and paralysis are the last symptoms we want
our online clients to experience. It's clear that customers won't stay long at a
site if they are not given a compelling reason to do so, but if they are
over-stimulated or subjected to a chaotic storefront design, the net result
might be the same: flight. And the last thing we want a customer to do is sigh
and, echoing Hamlet, remark: "How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seem
to me all the uses of this website."
How to Avoid the Hamlet Effect
Site aesthetics are important - and
image and design are probably the first things to register in consumer
awareness.
The goal of compelling, effortless
navigation begins with three design principles: Organization, Precision and
Restraint. Like an actor who overplays his part, an overwrought web page can
blast potential customers into a state of confusion and immobility, and
ultimately drive them elsewhere - on or offline. The following is a list of
strategies designed to forestall this Hamlet Effect.
Sound Organization
- Make your storefront manageable for the reader with streamlined directories
and indexes that lead the customer directly to their shopping goal or specific
area of interest. This may seem obvious, but one needs only a cursory survey of
Internet sites to realize that the storefronts of many online companies
overwhelm with disorganized content and unnecessary graphics. Sometimes, even
the directories demand too much effort on the reader's part. Here, subtlety is
the key and calculated restraint is the modus operandi. Information is the whole
point of your site: but content must be scaffold in a strategic way that both
welcomes and educates customers - and entices them to read on. A storefront
should be streamlined, partitioned into a clear, cogent format that highlights
exciting offers and provides manageable pathways that quickly guide customers to
the products, services, and information they desire. If your site is complex,
think about a catalogue search directory that can move a client directly to a
product or product category. The sooner a customer feels oriented and in
control, the better.
Economical Graphics
- Providing dynamic, sharply designed graphics is essential in stimulating
customer interest. However, over-stimulation and unrestrained art design can
also invoke the Hamlet effect. Site aesthetics are important - and image and
design are probably the first things to register in consumer awareness. But
don't fall in love with your graphics tools - and don't let flash get in the way
of content. Products should be displayed in an impressive, alluring fashion with
the larger goal of organization in mind. Similarly, logos and design formats
should remain consistent between pages so the customer stays oriented and on
familiar terrain. Think of your page format in terms of branding by establishing
a uniform and uniquely memorable template.
Here, another factor in avoiding the
Hamlet Effect is: never try the patience of your customer. Animated graphics, as
impressive as they may seem, may test the attention span of clients - and many
potential customers may not have the requisite connection speed to download
fireworks - especially if your product is targeting an international market. So
take the melodrama out of your graphics.
Content Excellence
- Compelling, clear, professionally written product copy is of utmost
importance. If your storefront does not exude expertise and professionalism,
potential customers will sense it - so all copy must be tight, compact,
forceful. Content should create a tangible image in your customer's imagination
and should explain the virtues of your product. Always remember who your
audience is and adapt your writing style accordingly. Professionalism and clear
evidence of human care are the first steps in establishing your online
credibility and gaining the trust of the buying public - and sloppy or
disorganized writing signals a fundamental weakness that may undermine consumer
confidence.
Lastly, if customer action is your
goal, give your customers an incentive to act. Unlike Hamlet, you don't want
your customer waiting till Act V to make a move. Once your site is organized and
streamlined for business, provide a call to action - appeal to emotion - give
customers a reason to make a move. Offer a crisp text button that says more than
just "order". Provide a language of action. If you are selling Star
Trek paraphernalia or Science Fiction, give your audience a Make It So button.
Again, adapt your language to your target audience. Be unique, dramatic, and
offer a clear incentive to act.
