1. > Zen and the art of website maintenence

• Matt Lane

• Squiz2011 User Conference

• 21 stNovember 2010

2. > The Buddha, the Godhead,resides quite as comfortablyin the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmissionas he does at the top of the mountain, or in the petals of a flower. 3. >

Web strategy

Usability

Content

4. > The place to improve the world is first in one's heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there. 5. > 1. Web strategy 6. > Why a web strategy Without a strategy, Time and resources are easily wasted, We suffer from an ad hocracy We end up in a constant state ofreaction Web strategy 7. > Who is your website for? Web strategy 8. > The test of the machine is the satisfaction it gives you.There isn't any other test.If the machine produces tranquillityit's right.If it disturbs you it's wrong until either the machine or your mind is changed. Web strategy > Users 9. > XKCD Web strategy > Users 10. > The test of thesiteis thesatisfaction it givesyour users .There isn't any other test.If thesiteproduces tranquillityit's right.If it disturbsyour usersit's wrong Web strategy > Users 11. > Whatdoesyour site provide? What are users looking to do? Does the firstsatisfy the second? Web strategy > Users > Satisfying needs 12. > XKCD Tranquillity: Make sure you give them what theyre looking for Web strategy > Users > Satisfying needs 13. > How wellis your site performing? (Analytics)Web strategy > Analytics 14. > With analytic thought, the knife, is applied to experience. Something is always killed in the process.Web strategy > Analytics 15. > Take as much as you can from analytics (which is heaps). But remember it isnt the full story(eg were you satisfied?) Web strategy > Analytics 16. >

What are the most popular pages / sections / routes on your site?

Which pages have low / high exit rates?

What percentage of your users use mobile?

Where does your traffic come from? Search? Referrals? Direct?

• What are users searchingforwho get to your site?

What are users searching for on your site?***

How long do users spend on your site?

Which cities / countries are your users from?

How are these changing, if at all, over time?

Are yourcurrentusers, actually yourtargetusers?

Web strategy > Analytics 17. > Analytics > Goals Web strategy > Analytics > Goals 18. > You look at where you're going and where you are and it never makes sense, but then you look back at where you've been and a pattern seems to emerge.Web strategy > Analytics > Goals 19. >

You really should have analytics goals

Goals can be hard to settle on (they are proxies)

Web strategy > Analytics > Goals 20. > Web strategy > Analytics > Goals Forms as goals 21. > Web strategy > Analytics > Goals 22. > Web strategy > Analytics > Goals 23. > Web strategy > Analytics > Goals 24. > 1. Locate form in Matrix Admin Interface 2. Create a new "Standard page" - this will be your new confirmation page (ensure it has appropriate confirmation text). Located this under the custom form asset, next to form contents 3. Create a "redirect asset" that redirects to your new standard page. 4. In the form's "Thank you" Bodycopy, create a raw html, nested content div - make this nested content the redirect page asset 5. Test your form (make sure you can see the new confirmation URL) Using this URL in Google Analytics for your goal Note: Ensure form is not being cached (System Managment/Cache Manager) Web strategy > Analytics > Goals Setting up unique form confirmation pages in Matrix for Google Analytics goals 25. > Web strategy > Analytics > Goals Possible goals ideas:

Newsletter subscription

Contact form completion

Competition entry submission

Blog comment submission

Document downloaded

Item listed

Social interaction analytics (see Google)

26. > A/B Testing (Analytics) Web strategy > Analytics > A/B Testing 27. > For every fact there is an infinity of hypotheses. Web strategy > Analytics > A/B Testing 28. >

A/B Testing allows you to pit A against B.

Eg:

Functionality

• mega menus vs dropdowns vs none

• multi page form vs single large page

Visual

• colour, alignment, images vs images

Page layout

Text

• Length, tone, headlines

Web strategy > Analytics > A/B Testing 29. >

Examples (by no means universal):

30-Day Free Trial on All Accounts generated 30% more sign-ups than the original Start a Highrise Account.

You should follow me on Twitter here worked 173% better than his control text, Im on Twitter.

The words Its free increased the clicks on this sign-up button by 28%

CareLogger increased its conversion rate by 34% simply by changing the colour of the sign-up button from green to red!

Web strategy > Analytics > A/B Testing http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/06/24/the-ultimate-guide-to-a-b-testing/ 30. An experiment is never a failure solely because it fails to achieve predicted results. An experiment is a failure only when it also fails adequately to test the hypothesis in question, when the data it produces don't prove anything one way or another.Web strategy > Analytics > A/B Testing 31. > 32. > 2. Usability Web strategy > Usability 33. > The test of thesiteis thesatisfaction it givesyour users .There isn't any other test.If thesiteproduces tranquillityit's right.If it disturbsyour usersit's wrong Web strategy > Usability 34. > Rules of thumb: 1. Clear and concise(seeContent )2. Obvious choices 3. Unambiguous consequences 4. Most important thing in the most obvious / prominent place Web strategy > Usability 35. > Implications: 1. Adopt conventions 2. Consistency 3. Every page should answer: where am I?what can I do here? what should I do here? Web strategy > Usability 36. > 37. > 3. Content Web strategy > Content 38. >

• Now all businesses

• are media businesses

• (or something similar)

• -Clay Shirky

Web strategy > Content 39. > Organisations invest tremendous resources on developing the framework for a robust user experience fabulous design, robust content management infrastructure. Yetwhen it comes to the content itself, theres often a gap . The end result is that the value proposition for customers cant be delivered because the content is insufficient, inadequate, and inappropriate. - Rachel Bailie Web strategy > Content 40. >

Writing for the web

Call things what they are

Avoid lengthy paragraphs

Write in active voice

Use correct tone

Use terms consistently

Web strategy > Content 41. > Writing for the web Means making content: short, scannable, and to the point (rather than full of fluffymarketese ).Web strategy > Content 42. > Writing for the web (Linking toUsability )Every page should answer: where am I?what can I do here? what should I do here? Web strategy > Content 43. >Content strategy Friendly andhuman voice Informationarchitecture Consistentand clearlanguage Helpful andtimelyguidance Help users feelwelcome, use aconversational tone When it works: This is friendlyand encouraging When it doesn't: This isuninviting Use language thatmakes sense,consistently When it works: This make sense When it doesn't: I don'tunderstand Leave a scenteverywhere When it works: I know whereI am When it doesn't: I don't know whereI am in the site Give clear, friendlyguidance andcalls to action When it works: Now I'mgoing to... When it doesn't: I thinkI'm done here Web strategy > Content 44. The truth knocks on the door an you say,"Go away I am looking for truth,"and it goes away, puzzling. 45. > Zen and the art of website maintenence

Matt Lane

• Squiz2011 User Conference

• 21 stNovember 2010

46.