B E S T P R AC T I C E S
August 31, 2005 This is the second document in the “2005 Web Site Review Criteria” series. by Kerry Bodine with Harley Manning and Janelle Johnson
Give Priority To Essential Content And Function
EXECUT I V E S U M MA RY
Earlier this year, Forrester updated its Web Site Review methodology and introduced four new criteria that reflect best practices in Web design. One of these new criteria highlights how placement and strong visual treatments can help users find mission-critical content and function on a Web page. DO ESSENTIAL CONTENT AND FUNCTION HAVE PRIORITY? Users come to Web sites with clear goals that require specific content and functionality. But 45% of the sites recently reviewed by Forrester made essential content and function difficult to find by failing to give this information priority on key pages.1 When determining priority, Forrester looks for (see Figure 1):
· Placement on the page. The content and functionality that users need to complete their goals
should be placed high on the page — not buried near the bottom or preceded by unnecessary marketing fluff. Unlike other online discount retailers, Wal-Mart places the price, product availability, estimated arrival date, and Add to Cart button at the top of the page (see Figure 2). This information is directly underneath the product name — and above a marketing blurb that some users may not care to read.
· Visual prominence. In addition to being placed high on the page, key information and options should
stand out through the use of strong visual treatments. Wal-Mart displays the product price in large red numbers and the product availability in green capital letters. Its hefty royal blue Add to Cart button is one of the most visually prominent features on the page and draws users’ attention directly towards it.
Why Is This Practice Important? When essential content and function have priority on the page:
· Users find what they need . . . Web pages contain large amounts of content, function, and
navigation — sometimes so much that users become overwhelmed with information overload. This stressful condition can keep users from finding information that’s actually there. But placing key details high on the page and formatting them so that they’re visually prominent will increase their chances of being seen and digested.
· . . . And they find it more quickly. Despite their protests to the contrary, most users are comfortable
scrolling to find the information they need.2 But scrolling takes time and can slow users in completing their goals. Similarly, visually prominent content and functionally immediately attract users’ attention — so users don’t have to spend time hunting around the page for it.
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Best Practices | Give Priority To Essential Content And Function
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Figure 1 Forrester’s Criteria For Exposing Essential Content And Function On Sites
Are essential content and function given priority on the page?
-2 -1 1 2
There are two major instances (or one major and several minor instances) where essential content or function are buried. There is one major instance (or several minor instances) where essential content or function are buried. Essential content and fucntion have priority on page. As above, plus essential content and function are visually prominent. Ratings: -2 = Strong fail; -1 = Fail; 1 = Pass; 2 = Strong pass
Source: Forrester Research, Inc.
Figure 2 Wal-Mart’s Essential Content And Function Are High On The Page And Visually Prominent
Source: Forrester Research, Inc.
August 31, 2005
© 2005, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited
Best Practices | Give Priority To Essential Content And Function
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R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S
PUT THIS PRACTICE TO WORK
To ensure that users can quickly find essential content and function, ask these questions:
· Who are the site’s target users? Companies should develop personas — composite
descriptions of real people who represent primary customer segments. Personas help design teams gain an accurate understanding of the target customers’ behaviors and attitudes, which leads to more informed design decisions. For example, a persona who’s concerned about online credit card transactions and identity theft probably won’t feel secure if privacy and security links are only presented in the footer of the page.
· What content and function do they need? Decisions about page layout and formatting
should be based on user needs — not heated opinions. To prioritize page elements, first create a list of all the content and function needed on a single page. Then, evaluate each item based on how important it is to each persona, and weight the resulting scores based on the proportion of the target market each persona represents.3 The content and function that are most important to the greatest number of users should rise to the top of the list and get added emphasis on a page.
· How can we help them find it? Determine the specific layout and formatting techniques
that will help users find the content and function they need. Place high priority items (especially those that ring the cash register) above the fold when possible. If scrolling can’t be avoided, include graphics or paragraphs of text that will be cut off by the bottom of the browser — this will provide an indication that there’s more information further down the page. Use large, bold fonts and splashes of color to highlight key details on a page. Red is an effective attention grabber, but use it sparingly — red fonts can be difficult to focus on, and should never appear on a blue background.4
ENDNOTES
1
Since February 2005, Forrester has conducted nearly 60 heuristic evaluations with Version 5.0 of our Web Site Review methodology. Thirty-six of these reviews examined major retail, automotive, travel, and media sites in the US and Japan. See the March 12, 2005, Best Practices “The Best And Worst Of Site Design, 2005,” and see the March 17, 2005, Best Practices “The Best And Worst Of Japanese Site Design, 2005.” Usability tests conducted by User Interface Engineering found that “most users readily scrolled through pages, usually without comment.” One critical ingredient for scrolling, however, is a visual cue that additional content and functionality are further down the page. Source: Jared M. Spool, “As the Page Scrolls,” Eye For Design, July/August 1998.
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August 31, 2005
© 2005, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited
Best Practices | Give Priority To Essential Content And Function
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3
Several factors to consider when prioritizing personas include what percentage of the user base they represent, how much revenue they directly affect, and how difficult they are to satisfy. A weighted persona matrix can also be used to prioritize user goals. See the September 10, 2004, Best Practices “How To Design Sites That Satisfy Millions Of Users.” Red text on a blue background creates an optical illusion called chromostereopsis, in which the red text appears closer and the blue background appears further away.
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Forrester Research (Nasdaq: FORR) is an independent technology and market research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice about technology’s impact on business and consumers. For 22 years, Forrester has been a thought leader and trusted advisor, helping global clients lead in their markets through its research, consulting, events, and peer-to-peer executive programs. For more information, visit www.forrester.com. © 2005, Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Forrester, Forrester Oval Program, Forrester Wave, WholeView 2, Technographics, and TechRankings are trademarks of Forrester Research, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Forrester clients may make one attributed copy or slide of each figure contained herein. Additional reproduction is strictly prohibited. For additional reproduction rights and usage information, go to www.forrester. com. Information is based on best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. To purchase reprints of this document, 37635 please email resourcecenter@forrester.com.