I just read a great article by Ian Lurie at Coversation Marketing titled Things You Don’t Know About Your Customers. Perhaps more aptly named Things to remember when designing a website, its a great read with clear points we all need to remember. In summary:
Updated 3/2020:
- Reading onscreen is hard, for everyone.
- Use short paragraphs.
- Use wide line spacing and nice margins.
- Use dark text on a light background.
- Scrolling up-and-down is OK
- Use lists.
- They view in an F-shape
- They can’t remember your web address (being at the top of search results for your name means nothing)
- They don’t search for your name (they search for answers to problems)
- They don’t want to log in (or anything standing between them and their goal)
- They don’t want an ‘experience’ (simple is better)
- They do want your newsletter (make it prevalent and easy to sign-up)
- They don’t care how clever you are. (just the facts please)
- They aren’t enticed by mystery.
- They get lost a lot (make navigation easy, redundant, and extend to your 404 pages)
- They are using cell phones
- They need to want (create desire)
A list of designers I work with and recommend is here: web designers