Are Distracting Cycling Images and Messages Hurting Profits?

While conducting usability testing with many people as they visit different websites, we hear lots of complaints about the use of Flash or JavaScript to cycle images and messages on homepages. We wonder: Is Flash truly a killer app? Or is it a sales killer?I'm not talking about the Flash site introduction pages, which fortunately have nearly disappeared. I am talking about an increasing number of small sites which are cycling images, changing messages, and sending offers across the screen -- generally causing havoc among people trying to understand an often complex webpage.This is not a tirade against Flash or JavaScript. It is an appeal for improved usability. Problems with Scrolling MessagesHere are the problems caused by changing messages and scrolling offers:1. Distraction. A large percentage of people, especially those with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), find them incredibly distracting. It is difficult to read -- let alone comprehend -- a webpage where dominant images continue to change and distract. The first rule to get conversions is: Convey your value proposition. Make clear what business you are in and why it is of benefit to the reader. But Flash often distracts viewers from understanding this essential message. Eyes are naturally attracted to motion and light. If your visitors don't finish reading a paragraph, they won't understand the value proposition. And unless they understand your value proposition, nothing will happen. Our user testing constantly reveals this pattern of distraction.2. Disappearing messages. Some sites cycle images and messages a few times and then stop. However, once the cycling has stopped, it is impossible to go back and look at the messages. Visitors become frustrated when they can't review them.3. Ineffectiveness. Flash does not seem to increase the effectiveness of messaging. Flash images alone convey little beyond an attractive look and feel, but these displays often consume 10% to 30% of valuable homepage real estate.4. Transitoriness. When we allow test users 8 to 10 seconds to view a homepage -- and then hide the page -- they rarely remember the content of the Flash messages. Far more often they are able to remember simple static headlines.5. Trained avoidance. Our testing indicates that Flash is becoming like banner ads that people have trained themselves to ignore. A Better Solution -- User ControlLet others continue to run Flash and lose conversions, while our clients implement this simple and effective solution: On every instance of Flash on your site use the common video icon controls for play and pause (and mute, if you use audio). Start with your primary message and let people move through the display if they choose. Such controls allow users to:* Run a display if they want to. * Stop on any message they are interested in. (Hint: Hyperlink the image to take users to an appropriate landing page.) With this approach you avoid annoying anyone. Flash can be an engaging, entertaining, and impactful tool if you simply yield control to the user and end the forced distraction.If you watched users get frustrated day in and day out with cycling images and messages, you might lose patience -- as we often do -- with sites that don't spend the time to determine exactly the kind of impressions they generate. As you explore new and supposedly engaging website technologies, be sure to test them before fully implementing them on your site.

Perfecting Your Store's Homepage, eBay Sales

Your online store's front page or homepage is the most important piece of real estate on your site. Here credibility must be established for both your store "brand" and for the products you sell. Here you engage users to shop and buy.
An Emotional and Intellectual Response
Within the first seconds of viewing (some say a fraction of a second), you must elicit a positive emotional and intellectual response from your visitor which will determine whether he or she will engage or click elsewhere.
A favorable response is produced by a pleasant mix of the following design elements:
* Appealing color palette * Identifiable imagery * Consistent typography * Breathing space or white space rather than clutter
Visual noise and confusion are so pervasive in the online world that a store with good design is a refreshing oasis. Order, beauty and clarity are the antidotes to chaos and confusion. Trust is the antidote to fear.
The visitor arrives with this implicit question: "Is this a site I trust?" The objective of good home page design is to help a visitor conclude, "Yes, this is a store I'd like to explore further. I would feel safe making a purchase from this store."
"Above the Fold"
Think of your homepage as being divided into two zones: above and below the "fold." "Above the fold" is a newspaper term that refers to the part of the screen that your visitor can see without scrolling. This screen must create a first impression that will make your visitor want to keep exploring your site. It must be "tight" and credible. Here are some guidelines:
* Build your store brand with a logo and value proposition tagline. * Maximize space while providing landmarks for key brand and navigation elements. * Define major categories clearly. Categories should be easy to read and expandable if there are subcategories under the top level categories. Your menu of categories is analogous to a book's table of contents. * Make your product search easy to find, since this is the next step for many visitors. * Actively engage the visitor with motion. Single banners and "hero shots" on the homepage are gradually being replaced by Flash or JavaScript modules that rotate banners similar to the one at http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/home.do (Notice that the user is able to control this display.)
Products on the Homepage
Feature products on your homepage to drive sales. Your shopping cart administrative interface may allow you to select individual products that will dynamically display on your homepage. These could be (1) top selling products, (2) new products, or (3) featured products -- perhaps those with a higher margin. The purpose is to get visitors to move beyond your homepage so that you get a chance for a sale.
Below the Fold
For stores with a number of products, the screen below the fold provides a place for additional products and credibility indicators, such as logos from HackerSafe, BBBOnline, credit cards, and graphics that say "secure." The homepage should seldom extend beyond the second or third screen view.
Common Mistakes
Homepages can lose their effectiveness from:
* Clutter or information overload -- sometimes in an attempt to make links for SEO. * Non-intuitive organization of categories. Usually categories are displayed alphabetically. * No email capture or blog link to initiate a further relationship with the visitor, even if no purchase is made on the first visit. * Lack of a clear value proposition or unique selling proposition (USP).
When your store's homepage is designed carefully -- and then tested -- it can improve conversions throughout the entire store.