Newsletter issue #57 - 1st December 2008
This issue
Hello and welcome to the December edition of the Webcredible newsletter!
In this issue:
- Feature article: Ecommerce on the go - selling through the mobile
- Top tip: Ensure progress indicators are effective
- Useful program: Odiogo
- Top link: Usability of utility websites report
- New articles in November
- Webcredible news in November
Enjoy!
Feature article: Ecommerce on the go - selling through the mobile
Over the past year the rise of the iPhone and other high-end handsets has meant that even more people use the Internet on their phone. However, while many people are already comfortable making online purchases using a computer, doing the same through a mobile phone poses unique challenges. These challenges need to be addressed by mobile ecommerce sites.
Top tip: Ensure progress indicators are effective
Online consumers like to know how long a checkout or application process will take them after they start it. This information is not always made readily available by websites and if users are just made to go through page after page in any process without clearly knowing when it will end, you risk consumers getting frustrated and leaving the site. An easy to use progress indicator can eradicate this problem.
- Give a name to each step of the progress indicator Letting your users know they're on page 1 of 5 is all well and good, but you should go one step further. Clearly naming each step of the progress indicator (e.g. 'your details', 'delivery', 'payment') will not only let site visitors know how far they have to go in the checkout process, but also what is likely to be involved within each of the steps.
- Ensure the current step stands out Users shouldn't get confused about where they are in the checkout process. By clearly highlighting the current step as well as ensuring all other steps are equally subdued this can be achieved. You can even use sub-steps to provide even more granular transparency to site visitors.
- Try to make them interesting Clearly defined tabs and headings work well for a progress indicator, but there's always the option of going one step further. You can help attract the attention of users to the progress indicator by adding a fun element, as long as it is relevant, such as showing a car moving along a road for a car insurance application form.
Useful program: Odiogo
Ever thought about adding audio content to your website but weren't sure how to go about it? Odiogo allows you to transform text content into audio which is downloadable to computers, MP3 players and mobile phones. Simply sign up and Odiogo will make your text content podcast-ready.
Top link: Usability of utility websites report
Webcredible's latest white paper evaluates the websites of the UK's energy and water suppliers against 20 best practice usability guidelines. Download your free copy of the report today!
New articles in November
Read these and many other articles
Webcredible news in November
- Plumbworld case study goes live
- IDeA case study goes live
- We have a new international services page
- Webcredible selected by P&O Cruises for usability testing
- We're recruiting an account manager!
Read these news stories in full
Free travel webinar
We're running a 'User experience in online travel' webinar on 10th December. Focused on the US & UK market, the webinar will outline what influences the booking decisions of online travel customers.
For more information & sign up to this event
Training courses
Come on one of our training courses and become a web guru! Our 18 courses are run across 5 training streams:
- Usability & accessibility courses
- Website optimisation courses
- Online copywriting courses
- Web development courses
- Online marketing courses
Training courses are held every 2 weeks in London and are fantastic - small class sizes, highly interactive and taught by experts.
