Five Tips to Improve Online Experience, Drive Revenue and Reduce Costs Megan Burns Senior Analyst Forrester Research March 4, 2009

Most Web sites deliver a lackluster experience 60% of sites lack essential function. 63% of sites lack essential content. 74% of sites have unclear menus. 81% of sites make users take unnecessary steps.

60% of sites lack essential function.

63% of sites lack essential content.

74% of sites have unclear menus.

81% of sites make users take unnecessary steps.

Bad Web experiences cost you money Average benefit from a Web site re-design: Retailers: $9M (low) to $39M (high) Manufacturers: $2.6M (low) to $3.6M (high) Financial Services*: $8M (low) to $25M (high) * Secure site only.

Average benefit from a Web site re-design:

Retailers: $9M (low) to $39M (high)

Manufacturers: $2.6M (low) to $3.6M (high)

Financial Services*: $8M (low) to $25M (high)

Five ways to improve the online experience Identify problems that stop users from completing their goals online. Eliminate technical issues. Fix usability problems with well-known solutions. Help people find what they want using search. Streamline the end of the purchase funnel.

Identify problems that stop users from completing their goals online.

Eliminate technical issues.

Fix usability problems with well-known solutions.

Help people find what they want using search.

Streamline the end of the purchase funnel.

Five ways to improve the online experience Identify problems that stop users from completing their goals online. Eliminate technical issues. Fix usability problems with well-known solutions. Help people find what they want using search. Streamline the end of the purchase funnel.

Identify problems that stop users from completing their goals online.

Eliminate technical issues.

Fix usability problems with well-known solutions.

Help people find what they want using search.

Streamline the end of the purchase funnel.

Use the measurement tools you already have… Web Site Monitoring Identify annoyances like slow page load times, content display errors, and software glitches. Web Analytics Uncover problematic visitor behavior like pogo-sticking.

...and layer in low cost qualitative techniques Heuristic Evaluations Use trained experts to find known usability problems. Remote Usability Testing Find additional usability problems at lower cost. Web Site Monitoring Identify annoyances like slow page load times, content display errors, and software glitches. Web Analytics Uncover problematic visitor behavior like pogo-sticking.

Five ways to improve the online experience Identify the problems that stop users from completing their goals online. Eliminate technical issues. Fix usability problems with well-known solutions. Help people find what they want using search. Streamline the end of the purchase funnel.

Identify the problems that stop users from completing their goals online.

Eliminate technical issues.

Fix usability problems with well-known solutions.

Help people find what they want using search.

Streamline the end of the purchase funnel.

Errors erode trust in the Web channel Average cost difference between Web and phone is $5.40 per transaction. Even a small channel shift can have a big financial impact.

Average cost difference between Web and phone is $5.40 per transaction.

Even a small channel shift can have a big financial impact.

Five ways to improve the online experience Identify the problems that stop users from completing their goals online. Eliminate technical issues. Fix usability problems with well-known solutions. Help people find what they want using search. Streamline the end of the purchase funnel.

Identify the problems that stop users from completing their goals online.

Eliminate technical issues.

Fix usability problems with well-known solutions.

Help people find what they want using search.

Streamline the end of the purchase funnel.

Common problems with known solutions Does the site present privacy and security policies in context? Place clearly labeled links to privacy and security policies next to fields that ask for personal information. Describe both privacy and security safeguards in the policies. Best Practice: Include a summary of each policy with the links. Is text legible? Does the site help users recover from errors? Verdana should appear to be at least 9 pt., Arial at least 10 pt., and Times New Roman at least 11 pt. Best Practice: If contrast is low (e.g., gray text on a white background or any text on a colored background), use type that’s larger than minimum sizes. Design error messages into page templates, not pop-up windows. Tell users what went wrong and how to fix the problem. Use clear, polite language that doesn't imply that users are at fault. Best Practice: Adopt the habit of forcing errors by finding a form or high-function application, doing something you’re not supposed to do (like leaving fields blank), and observing the results. Source: “Beating The Three Web Design Challenges”

Five ways to improve the online experience Identify the problems that stop users from completing their goals online. Eliminate technical issues. Fix usability problems with well-known solutions. Help people find what they want using search. Streamline the end of the purchase funnel.

Identify the problems that stop users from completing their goals online.

Eliminate technical issues.

Fix usability problems with well-known solutions.

Help people find what they want using search.

Streamline the end of the purchase funnel.

Help people find what they want via search Optimize copy, titles, and labels to help search engines match content to user search terms. Eliminate unused content to: Cut clutter in results Save time and money in content management

Optimize copy, titles, and labels to help search engines match content to user search terms.

Eliminate unused content to:

Cut clutter in results

Save time and money in content management

Five ways to improve the online experience Identify the problems that stop users from completing their goals online. Eliminate technical issues. Fix usability problems with well-known solutions. Help people find what they want using search. Streamline the end of the purchase funnel.

Identify the problems that stop users from completing their goals online.

Eliminate technical issues.

Fix usability problems with well-known solutions.

Help people find what they want using search.

Streamline the end of the purchase funnel.

Don’t stop people who want to give you money Make sure visitors have the information they need to complete the transaction. Remove unnecessary fields and steps in the task flow. Don’t require registration to make a purchase. Provide clear feedback and error messages. Tweak the location and appearance of key buttons to increase click through rates. Make sure the order review page doesn’t look like a confirmation page.

Make sure visitors have the information they need to complete the transaction.

Remove unnecessary fields and steps in the task flow.

Don’t require registration to make a purchase.

Provide clear feedback and error messages.

Tweak the location and appearance of key buttons to increase click through rates.

Make sure the order review page doesn’t look like a confirmation page.

Five ways to improve the online experience Identify the problems that stop users from completing their goals online. Eliminate technical issues. Fix usability problems with well-known solutions. Help people find what they want using search. Streamline the end of the purchase funnel.

Identify the problems that stop users from completing their goals online.

Eliminate technical issues.

Fix usability problems with well-known solutions.

Help people find what they want using search.

Streamline the end of the purchase funnel.

Recommendations Do everything you can now to improve the customer experience so you’re well positioned to compete when things turns around. Focus on low cost, high value fixes that stop customers from completing their goals online. Keep detailed records of what you do and the benefits that come from it. Use this data to make the case for more funding in the future.

Do everything you can now to improve the customer experience so you’re well positioned to compete when things turns around.

Focus on low cost, high value fixes that stop customers from completing their goals online.

Keep detailed records of what you do and the benefits that come from it.

Use this data to make the case for more funding in the future.

Read more about business case best practices June 17, 2008 “ How To Get Funding For Web Site Improvements ” June 4, 2008 “ Top Decision Criteria For Execs Who Approve Customer Experience Budgets ”

June 17, 2008 “ How To Get Funding For Web Site Improvements ”

June 4, 2008 “ Top Decision Criteria For Execs Who Approve Customer Experience Budgets ”

Thank you Megan Burns +1 617.613.6294 [email_address] www.forrester.com

Megan Burns

+1 617.613.6294

[email_address]

www.forrester.com

First SaaS Web Experience Management Platform Web Experience Delivery Assurance across the application lifecycle ExperienceFirst (XF) Network 80,000+ internet experience measurement points Over 2,000 Customers Worldwide 13 out of 20 most visited US Websites utilize Gomez 250+ Employees Gomez Profile Headquarters Lexington, MA Global Offices UK Germany Switzerland China Matt Poepsel VP, Performance Strategies

First SaaS Web Experience Management Platform

Web Experience Delivery Assurance across the application lifecycle

ExperienceFirst (XF) Network

80,000+ internet experience measurement points

Over 2,000 Customers Worldwide

13 out of 20 most visited US Websites utilize Gomez

250+ Employees

Headquarters

Lexington, MA

Global Offices

UK

Germany

Switzerland

China

Not available Available

8 Days per Year

$803,000 in lost revenue

$2,550,000 in lost revenue

“ went offline for a period of several hours” “ lengthy outage that left businesses without access to mission-critical data” “ network issues brought services down for about six hours”

User Expectations Poor performance impacts usability, user satisfaction, conversions

1. Recession Realities

2. Web Complexity

3. Great Expectations

Partnering for Lasting Success Customer Experience is being shaped by the Recession, Web Complexity, User Expectations Online revenues, cost containment and risk hang in the balance Business and IT partners need to work together to meet end-user expectations Success requires new types of communication and coordination Four key questions can guide the collaborative process 1 2 3 4

Customer Experience is being shaped by the Recession, Web Complexity, User Expectations

Online revenues, cost containment and risk hang in the balance

Business and IT partners need to work together to meet end-user expectations

Success requires new types of communication and coordination

Four key questions can guide the collaborative process

Keep the Doors Open Are we sure that our customers can browse, view, and search our site? KEY QUESTION #1

Protect the Revenue What have we done to ensure all our customers can convert? KEY QUESTION #2

Keep Them Satisfied Are all of our customers really having a good experience? KEY QUESTION #3

Protect the Quality Are my IT team and partners succeeding with fewer resources? KEY QUESTION #4

Take advantage of usability improvement recommendations from Forrester Get detailed answers to the 4 Key Questions Foster alignment and communication Make sure all Business and IT counterparts have the information they need to succeed Recommendations Business stakeholders may not own the solutions, but they are responsible for ensuring that the problems are solved

Take advantage of usability improvement recommendations from Forrester

Get detailed answers to the 4 Key Questions

Foster alignment and communication

Make sure all Business and IT counterparts have the information they need to succeed

Gomez Offers Full Lifecycle Solutions for Web Application Management “ Gomez has made spectacular progress in the last 18 months…to become the leader in web experience management.” Jean-Pierre Garbani, Vice President, Principal Analyst, Forrester Research Tech Horizons: Evaluating Gomez’s Web Experience Management Services, August 2008

Find Out How Gomez Can Help You Gomez is here to help http://www.gomez.com/instant-test-pro/index.php To receive a complimentary copy of the Aberdeen report entitled: “The Performance of Web Applications – Customers Are Won or Lost in One Second” please visit http://www.gomez.com Speak To A Gomez Solutions Expert Toll Free: 877.372.6732 Some of Our Customers