The Billboard Website

Publication Date: 2007-01-23

Article category: Web Site Accessibility

"Keep It Simple Stupid!"

In his book "Don't make me think" usability expert Steve Krug explains that a home page should work more like an advertising billboard driven past at 60mph than a brochure. This statement makes more sense in the light of usability studies by Careleton University in Ottawa, that show that a visitor will decide whether to stay on a web site within 0.05 seconds of arriving there. If they stay their average period viewing each page is around 40 seconds.

Give your visitors an "Ahaa!" moment 

This means that your visitor must 'get' your web site almost immediately. They must instantly understand the fundamentals of what you are trying to say or sell. It also means that within a short period of arriving your visitor must be able to work out how to use your site. Where your navigation is, how to proceed to whatever it is they are looking for and hope to find on your site.

One short test can tell you so much.

So, does your home page pass the Two Second test? First open your web site in your browser at the homepage, then minimise the browser so it is still open but not being displayed full screen. Now find someone who is totally unconnected with your web site (a passing van driver, the man who reads the meter?). Sit them in front of your PC, and explain you will briefly show them a web page, then you will ask them some questions. Once they are happy, click the mouse on the minimised browser so it pops open full screen, count to two and close it again.

Now ask your volunteer (victim?) these three questions;

1. What was the name of the site?
2. What was it about?
3. Name something you could do on that site.

The answers may surprise you. If they're not what you hoped for, it may be time to consider some usability design. If they are, congratulations, now you are ready to reap the benefit of investment in search engine optimisation. Either way, you rarely look at your own or other peoples home pages the same way again.