Consumers want to be able quickly find the information for which they are searching. What consumers don’t want is friction, defined as any obstacle to reaching their goal.

Friction in Action

Last week I canceled a follow-up doctor’s appointment. It’s a new doctor I’ve only visited once. My Physician of 15 years retired from private practice. I was spoiled. My old GP had a single physician practice. Her staff answered the phone. They knew me. Like I said; I was spoiled. I went to the medical group’s site to reschedule. I wouldn’t take my password. I was sent an email, but when I attempted to reset, I received an error code with a phone number. I called. There was a recording; it said we no longer take messages. I went back to the site. The landing page offered to reschedule by portal or phone call—no phone number was listed. I googled the medical group, found a general number, and eventually connected to my new doctors automated answering system. That was last week. They haven’t called back. Do you know a good doctor?

What do Consumers want from your Site?

Consumers want easy access to the information they seek. Prospects want sites that are easy to navigate and simple to use. They don’t want to jump through hoops to find what they need. They want the four P’s – product, phone numbers, prices, and place.

  • List phone numbers on every page
  • Share retail prices and availability
  • Post operation and shop hours
  • Supply a map and directions

But not this…

It’s easy to over-complicate a website. The key to elegance is simplicity. The primary ingredient for usability is a clean, uncluttered design. Consumers don’t appreciate:

  • Unnecessary steps – It shouldn’t take 14 steps to send an email from the contact page.
  • Misleading information and links – Prospects cruising a website don’t want to be taken to a newsletter opt-in when they were searching for product reviews.
  • Poor content – Bad grammar, misspelled words, and poorly constructed sentences will drive visitors away.
  • Lack of visuals – Folks want images including video.
  • Cookie cutter design – People want to see typography that fits the brand with design and images that share the culture and grab attention.

It’s Simple Really

Consumers want to be able to quickly and easily access the information they seek on your site. They want to do it in pleasant surroundings without interruptions. They don’t want to have to think about how to find what they need. They want it presented to them. Here’s a challenge for you—ask five friends, not in your industry, what they would expect to find on your site. Then ask them to search for it on your site. We’d like to hear how they did.