People scan web pages in an F-shaped pattern

Web marketing experts have done some fascinating research into how people read web pages.

Using eye tracking studies, they’ve found people tend to scan pages in an F-shaped pattern. It’s worth bearing this in mind when you are writing the content for your website. Unless your content is very compelling, most of it won’t get read. It’s sad … but true.

One study, by useit.com, recorded how 232 users looked at thousands of web pages. It confirmed the dominant reading pattern looks somewhat like an F and has the following three components:

1. People first read in a horizontal movement, usually across the upper part of the content area. This forms the top bar of the F.

2. Next, they move down the page a bit and then read across in a second horizontal movement that typically covers a shorter area than the previous movement. This additional element forms the F’s lower bar.

3. Finally, people scan the content’s left side in a vertical movement. Sometimes this is a fairly slow and systematic scan. Other times, people move faster.

The ‘heat map’ above shows how readers’ eyes scan web pages in a F-shaped pattern. The red areas of the page get the most attention.

So, what does the F Pattern mean?

Firstly, it means the way people scan web pages is different to the way they read printed pages. So you shouldn’t simply duplicate your print materials on your website.

People will not read your text thoroughly, word-by-word. They will very rarely read everything on a web page, especially when they are doing their initial research into which product or service to buy.

This means, the first two paragraphs on your web page must state the most important information. Then there’s some hope that your visitors will actually read this material. They will probably read more of the first paragraph than the second.

So put a compelling headline on your page, which spells out the main benefits of your product or service.

You should also use sub-headings and bullet points, so people will notice them as they scan down the left side of your content in the final stem of their F. 

The ‘heat map’ of this e-commerce site also shows people scan the page in an F-shape pattern.

Is this the “best” website in the world?

Each month, Nielsen Online puts out a list of the world’s “top converting” websites. They base the results on the number of people who buy something from a particular website, versus the total number of visitors to the site.

One website consistently comes out on top - ProFlowers.com, an American site selling flowers. ProFlowers.com consistently has a conversion rate of between 30% and 40%, and occasionally goes above 40%. This means for every 100 people who visit ProFlowers.com, 30 to 40 of them buy something.

When you consider the average e-commerce website struggles to achieve a 1% conversion rate, you’ll appreciate ProFlowers.com is achieving something quite remarkable. It is a simple site, with no cool effects. It just gets straight down to business. There’s a special offer featured prominently on the home page, plus a menu across the top with various occasions and types of flowers.

If you’re planning an e-commerce site, it would make sense to model the layout on ProFlowers.com.

For more ideas on what makes a successful website, here is Nielsen’s list of the Top 10 converting websites for December 2008*.

1. ProFlowers 31.1%
2. LL Bean 25.7%
3. Amazon 23.7%
4. VitaCost 23.0%
5. Coldwater Creek 22.4%
6. QVC 21.1%
7. Roamans 20.4%
8. Office Depot 20.2%
9. LandsEnd 19.3%
10. Victoria’s Secret 19.2%

*Source: Nielsen Online / Marketing

Here’s the No. 2 converting site, LL Bean, to give you more ideas of what works in the real world (as opposed to what web designers “think” might work).

It’s well worth studying these top-converting sites and using their proven models as the basis for your own.

Why try and reinvent the wheel?

How to make blogging work for your business

I recently worked with a client who has developed a hugely successful business selling nutritional supplements and skincare products to the US, Asia and Europe, from a small office in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Virtually all his products are sold via the Internet and he gets about 30,000 visitors a month to his website. Furthermore, he doesn’t spend a fortune on Google Adwords or other online advertising.

The secret, he told me, was due largely to his blog. He posts to his blog two or three times a week (although I just checked his blog today and I see he’s travelling and hasn’t posted for 10 days).

Virtually every one of his blog posts has comments beneath it. He often makes controversial statements about the nutritional supplement industry, which guarantees him a lively readership.

This is a classic example of how powerful blogging can be for your business …. if you do it right. That’s a big IF. A lot of people start a blog and have a spurt of enthusiasm and then give up. Or they try to make their blog posts too overtly sales-oriented.

Your blog needs to be informative, interesting and ideally a bit controversial. For people (like me) who don’t like going out selling face to face but are more introverted, blogging can be an ideal way to build up your credibility and attract new customers. You don’t have to do any sales or ever have to pitch; people will call you after reading your blog.

You can imagine how much more receptive people will be to buying if they have approached you, rather than you approaching them. You’re already half way to the sale before you even start talking to them.

The downside of blogging is that it does take time to build up traffic. You will feel as though you are writing away in a vaccuum for a while and wonder if it’s worth it. Then, after a few weeks, you’ll start to see visitors who have found your blog posts in the search engines.

Google seems to love blogs, much more than regular websites. I’ve seen this with my own websites. I’ve had a site for about four years selling my website design services and have got a steady trickle of traffic to it. At the beginning of 2009 (about 30 days ago) I built a new website using Wordpress, which is a blogging software that can also be used to create full websites.

The amazing thing is, this new website, built with Wordpress, is already getting more traffic than my four-year-old conventional site! Furthermore, it is already ranked on page two of Google for the term ‘website designers Christchurch’ - after just 30 days.

So this is good news if you’re serious about blogging.  If you post consistently and offer something of genuine value to to readers, you’ll gradually build up a following and your business will take off more than you dreamed possible. 

If you’re not a writer, or simply don’t have time to write a blog, you could do what more and more businesses are doing - hire a freelance writer to share some (or all) of the load.

To conclude, I’d like to share another example of a truly successful blog, which I learned about today. It is written by a tailor working in upmarket Saville Row in London. You’d hardly expect a tailor aiming at the upper end of the market to be a blogger. But Thomas Mahon sells bespoke suits using mainly his blog, and word of mouth, as marketing. He is constantly booked and his customers include Prince Charles.

A good business blog is like the best kind of salesperson. It offers information and advice but is not pushy. It makes you want to come back again and again and also spread the word to your friends. It’s well worth the effort!

How to create your own ‘unique selling proposition’

Most business people have heard of the term ‘unique selling proposition’ (USP). It’s something every marketing expert talks about. But the reality is, 95% of businesses have never developed a strong USP!

That’s incredible. In fact, if you have a clear idea of your USP, you’ll be streets ahead of most of your competition.

The main reason businesses don’t develop a clear USP is because it involves serious thought. Most of us don’t like to think too hard. We’d rather get on with the job of “working”. So we keep putting off the need to think about a USP.

A simple question to help develop your USP

“Why should someone do business with me rather than any other company in the same market?”

When you have a great answer to that question, you can really push sales through the roof.

To demonstrate how powerful a USP can be, consider the story of Dominos Pizzas. Tom Monaghan, the founder of Dominos, came up with 10-word USP, which turned the entire pizza industry upside down and had everyone else chasing him for 10 years trying to catch up.

His magical USP was this:

“Pizza delivered in 30 minutes or it’s free.”

On the strength of that unique selling proposition, Tom Monaghan took a run-down pizza joint and built the Dominos Pizza empire.

Other great USP examples

“When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.” (Federal Express)

“Best Range. Lowest Prices. End of Story.” (The Mitre 10 DIY chain in New Zealand)

These USPs are clear and easy to remember. Think about what makes your business different from your competitors and why people should buy from you instead of them. Refine this down to a simple phrase that people can remember.

Some ideas for developing your USP

If you are stuck for ideas, here are some suggestions that you can build your USP around.

1. Do you provide an exceptionally high level of customer service?

2. Is your product of superior quality than your competitors?

3. Do you use the latest (or best) technology in your industry?

4. Is there something convenient about your product that makes it unique?

5. Can you give your customers a quick response? (Like Dominos’ 30 minutes or les).ing?

6. Can you offer more personalised service?  (by being a small company, for example)

7. Do you have a long track record of success in your industry? (specify the number of years)

8. Can you offer a 100% money back guarantee? Does this make you unique?

These are just a few ideas to get you thinking.

Do some brainstorming and write down every idea that you come up with. Don’t worry about how silly they might seem. No thought is too far fetched at this point. Sometimes those “silly ideas” that you laugh about are actually things your competitors don’t offer and can sometimes be incorporated into a USP.

The next step is to nail down your list. Be creative and really think here.

Ultimately, only you can come up with a USP and, like anything worthwhile, it will take some serious effort.

Are you willing to put in the effort? Or will you keep putting it off, like most businesses do?