Usability for Nonprofits: Reducing Friction & Boosting Conversion

USABILITYReducing Friction &Boosting Conversion

Mike Perla

@mikeperla

@mikeperla #GoNPO linkedin.com/in/mikeperla mperla@fathomdelivers.com

Mike Perla – Director of Conversion Optimization 2013 Online Testing Awards Gold Ribbon, Case Study in WhichTestWon.com

A/B Test Hall of Fame, Director of Event Planning - Northeast Ohio Usability Professional’s Association (NEOUPA), Advisory Board - WhichTestWon.com, Founder - Conversion Rate Optimization Professional Association (CROPA)

10+ years of experience in CRO, UXD, web design, researched-based information architecture practices, persuasive copywriting, persona development and market positioning.

Who is this Guy?Why should I pay attention?!?

Drive all the traffic you want, it is worthless if it does not convert

Conversion Optimization Should Be a Priority!Get Your Web Properties to Convert

Who are your competitors? Any organization asking individuals to donate a % of their disposable income

What are you selling? You are selling a pleasurable experience. Donations trigger pleasure areas of the brain that are traditionally stimulated by food, sex and sweets. – University of Oregon

The World of Non-ProfitsUnassumingly Competitive

It takes just 50 milliseconds (1/20th of a second) for visitors to form an opinion about the quality of a site This is an action of the old part of your brain or “Reptilian Brain” Is it attractive? Is there a clear visual hierarchy? Does it look safe? The “Reptilian Brain” is the ultimate decision maker (halo effect)

You have 7 seconds to keep a visitor from leaving The middle and new parts of the brain – feelings/ emotions & logic Is it relevant? Is it clear what I am supposed to do? Do I feel confident in

taking that action?

Make a Good ImpressionYou Have Just Seconds

Anxiety – How will my money be spent? What % goes to the cause? Are donations handled securely?

Emotion – Use images that tell the story. Use success stories people can respond to emotionally. Target empathy.

Cialdini’s Principles of Influence Social Proof – How many others have donated? What is the total

donations? Authority – What organizations or persons of authority do you

support/support you? Affiliations?

Appealing to Your CustomerAddressing Anxiety and Using Persuasive Triggers

ABILITYGive Visitors the Ability to Convert

readABILITY

absorbABILITYuseABILITY

Font Choice – typeface, weight & size Line Height

readABILITYEffortless Reading Comprehension

Verdana is much easier to read.

Monotype Corsiva is hard to read.

Limit web pages to the usage of

3 fonts or less. Less is better.

Is your text W3C compliant?

Use Colour Contrast Check

Measure the relative luminance of each letter (unless they are all uniform) using the formula:

L = 0.2126 * R + 0.7152 * G + 0.0722 * B where R, G and B are defined as:

if RsRGB <= 0.03928 then R = RsRGB/12.92 else R = ((RsRGB+0.055)/1.055) ^ 2.4

if GsRGB <= 0.03928 then G = GsRGB/12.92 else G = ((GsRGB+0.055)/1.055) ^ 2.4

if BsRGB <= 0.03928 then B = BsRGB/12.92 else B = ((BsRGB+0.055)/1.055) ^ 2.4

and RsRGB, GsRGB, and BsRGB are defined as:

RsRGB = R8bit/255

GsRGB = G8bit/255

BsRGB = B8bit/255

The "^" character is the exponentiation operator.

Use a readability test

tool like read-able.com

"I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English--it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them--then the rest will be valuable."

Mark Twain, letter to D. W. Bowser, March 1880

Americans average a reading

level of Grade 8

Reading from a computer screen is 20-30% slower than reading from paper – The University of Texas.

The man who makes a success of an important venture never wails for the crowd. He strikes out for himself. It takes nerve, it takes a great lot of grit; but the man that succeeds has both. Anyone can fail. The public admires the man who has enough confidence in himself to take a chance. These chances are the main things after all. The man who tries to succeed must expect to be criticized. Nothing important was ever done but the greater number consulted previously doubted the possibility. Success is the accomplishment of that which most people think can't be done.

The man who makes a success of an important venture never wails for the crowd. He strikes out for himself. It takes nerve, it takes a great lot of grit; but the man that succeeds has both. Anyone can fail.

The public admires the man who has enough confidence in himself to take a chance. These chances are the main things after all.

The man who tries to succeed must expect to be criticized. Nothing important was ever done but the greater number consulted previously doubted the possibility. Success is the accomplishment of that which most people think can't be done.

Reading on a computer screen

is 20-30% slower than paper

List items are small, discrete “chunks” that are physically easier on the eye and easier to follow and comprehend.

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Visitors have time to read only 20% of

your copy during an average visit

Usability issues in terms of conversion rate optimization is called “Friction” Friction arises from any element of the conversion process that causes

frustration, mental fatigue or confusion.

useABILITYEasy & Intuitive

Friction causes aggravation,

mental fatigue or confusion

Sources of Friction Length of Pages – Visitors spend only 20% of attention below the fold Page Layout and Design – Confusing layout, no visual hierarchy Button Design – Easy to overlook CTA; conflicting color usage Number of Options – Decision paralysis (3 or 4 options – Weinschenk) Nature and Number of Form Fields – Irrelevant fields or private information Form Field Layout – Form can appear shorter due to layout Number of Steps in Process – The less the better Page Load Speed – Faster the load speed, the better Discontinuity – Design, message, offer

Reducing page load speed & the # of form fields is a no-brainer

+368.5%

The “Technidiot” Test Does your Grandma, Mother or technically challenged friend find the website

intuitive to use?

DIY user testing - observe the technically impaired

Visitors form an opinion about your web page in 50 milliseconds and will leave within 7 seconds or less.

So, what do your visitors see?

Are the purpose, benefits and differentiators easy to locate and comprehend? Is it easy to decipher what is most important on the page? Is it clear what action they are supposed to take?

absorbABILITYMaking Sense of Digital Surroundings

You have milliseconds to make

an impact on a new visitor

WhichTestWon.com

+31.4%

WhichTestWon.com

Use the “Squint” Chrome App

to quickly assess your layout

http://snook.ca/technical/colour_contrast/colour.html

Overcoming ObjectionsUse Hard Evidence

http://www.read-able.com/

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/search/squint

Twitter @mikeperla & @CROProA LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeperla LinkedIn Group: Conversion Rate Optimization Professionals’ Association www.cropa.net

Final SlideTime to Say Goodbye

Usability for Nonprofits: Reducing Friction & Boosting Conversion

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Transcript of Usability for Nonprofits: Reducing Friction & Boosting Conversion

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