A New Trend in Web Marketing Capturing the Attention of the Novice Web User
A New Trend in Web Marketing Capturing the Attention of the Novice Web User
This is a tremendous marketing opportunity as new customers can now be evaluating your business Website. Let's take a look at few key points that should be addresses when marketing to the Web novice.
What is a Web Novice?
The Web novice is experiencing the Internet at it's greatest potential for the first time. They are not just looking at Websites, but learning to search for information, get answers to very specific questions and actually purchase online.
It is possible to break Web users into three categories:
Heavy User - Highly Web savvy with no problems on most Websites.
Moderate User - Uses the Web and email frequently and gets frustrated at least once a week with Websites and technology in general.
Novice - New to the Web and would like to buy online and use email, but needs help on a regular basis.
This third group, the novice user, is a huge marketing demographic, a key decision-maker and has tremendous potential for growth.
It is very easy to get a handle on a user's technical savvy fairly early on in a typical user testing session. The highly technical user can get through just about any Website to find what they want. However, the real challenge is in capturing the attention of the novice user. This is done with a site that is simple and clear to the novice user, but still meets the need of other site visitors.
Web Novice Online Behavior
One of the problems with technology is that it frequently over-promises and under-delivers. The Web novice has felt this all along in their interactions with the Web. The Internet frustrates them because they don't know how to, or can't find, where to go for the information that meets their needs. The novice user is usually looking for basic information and answers to common sense questions. They go to the Web for the same reasons the moderate and heavy users go online, but what they see on the screen confuses them and often presents a challenge they don't think they can overcome.
One key problem for the Web novice is too many choices on the page. The novice user is not likely to click on anything they don't understand, so multiple choices on a Website often lead to no action. They are afraid of getting lost on a site and don't trust their ability to navigate properly, especially on a complex site.
Web novices do not know or understand the basic rules of the Web. It will take some time before they understand these rules and make them second nature. In fact many moderate Web users don't know these rules. This includes underlined links, graphic hyper-links, how flash works, scrolling down a page and others. It is best not to rely on these navigation techniques too often on your site.
The Web novice has a very short memory. They are learning many functions for the first time and it is important to repeat information and clearly show progress on the site.
Key Points in Usability for the Web Novice
A hug gap exists between the people that build and maintain a Website and the Web novice. They speak two different languages in how they use computers. However, the Web novice can learn if the training goes at their pace, which is often painfully slow for a technical savvy instructor. It may also feel like your Website is painfully simple to use. Yet, if you have made a commitment to target Web novices, follow these basic guidelines for your site design:
Set up basic instructions on your Website for the use of the site
Keep Web pages clear of clutter and focused on one or two key activities
Use text instructions near graphic links
Use large, easy to read fonts
Conduct user testing with Web novices to balance site feedback
Know what key tasks the novice user is looking to accomplish on your site
Include contact information on every page for help on the site and customer service
The Web novice will spend money. Do not make an assumption that lack of Web savvy is equal to low income. In fact, just the opposite may be the case as younger people (with less money) use the Web like they use a telephone or the microwave, with little or no usability issues.
High Speed Access and the Novice User
High speed Internet access is growing and the spouses, parents, children, family and friends of the technical Web users are moving toward the Web in greater numbers. Given this trend, it is even more important that your Website is usable at even the most basic levels of Web knowledge.
Potential ROI from the Novice User
How valuable is the novice user to your online business? It is easy to run the math. At a minimum, 10-20% of your Web traffic (and growing) will be novice traffic. Approximately, 70% of Americans are online and this number is growing as well. What would a 10-20% increase in sales look like for your business.
A New Trend in Web Marketing Capturing the Attention of the Novice Web User - To learn more about this author, visit Thomas Young's Website.
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In our work as usability consultants we have seen an interesting trend on the Web. This trend has to do with the increase in novice users learning to get their needs met via the Internet. These users have decided they finally need to go online to get information or buy products and services. The novice user has found that there is now enough benefit to the Internet that they should take the time and energy to get out of their comfort zone and get online.
This is a tremendous marketing opportunity as new customers can now be evaluating your business Website. Let's take a look at few key points that should be addresses when marketing to the Web novice.
What is a Web Novice?
The Web novice is experiencing the Internet at it's greatest potential for the first time. They are not just looking at Websites, but learning to search for information, get answers to very specific questions and actually purchase online.
It is possible to break Web users into three categories:
Heavy User - Highly Web savvy with no problems on most Websites.
Moderate User - Uses the Web and email frequently and gets frustrated at least once a week with Websites and technology in general.
Novice - New to the Web and would like to buy online and use email, but needs help on a regular basis.
This third group, the novice user, is a huge marketing demographic, a key decision-maker and has tremendous potential for growth.
It is very easy to get a handle on a user's technical savvy fairly early on in a typical user testing session. The highly technical user can get through just about any Website to find what they want. However, the real challenge is in capturing the attention of the novice user. This is done with a site that is simple and clear to the novice user, but still meets the need of other site visitors.
Web Novice Online Behavior
One of the problems with technology is that it frequently over-promises and under-delivers. The Web novice has felt this all along in their interactions with the Web. The Internet frustrates them because they don't know how to, or can't find, where to go for the information that meets their needs. The novice user is usually looking for basic information and answers to common sense questions. They go to the Web for the same reasons the moderate and heavy users go online, but what they see on the screen confuses them and often presents a challenge they don't think they can overcome.
One key problem for the Web novice is too many choices on the page. The novice user is not likely to click on anything they don't understand, so multiple choices on a Website often lead to no action. They are afraid of getting lost on a site and don't trust their ability to navigate properly, especially on a complex site.
Web novices do not know or understand the basic rules of the Web. It will take some time before they understand these rules and make them second nature. In fact many moderate Web users don't know these rules. This includes underlined links, graphic hyper-links, how flash works, scrolling down a page and others. It is best not to rely on these navigation techniques too often on your site.
The Web novice has a very short memory. They are learning many functions for the first time and it is important to repeat information and clearly show progress on the site.
Key Points in Usability for the Web Novice
A hug gap exists between the people that build and maintain a Website and the Web novice. They speak two different languages in how they use computers. However, the Web novice can learn if the training goes at their pace, which is often painfully slow for a technical savvy instructor. It may also feel like your Website is painfully simple to use. Yet, if you have made a commitment to target Web novices, follow these basic guidelines for your site design:
Set up basic instructions on your Website for the use of the site
Keep Web pages clear of clutter and focused on one or two key activities
Use text instructions near graphic links
Use large, easy to read fonts
Conduct user testing with Web novices to balance site feedback
Know what key tasks the novice user is looking to accomplish on your site
Include contact information on every page for help on the site and customer service
The Web novice will spend money. Do not make an assumption that lack of Web savvy is equal to low income. In fact, just the opposite may be the case as younger people (with less money) use the Web like they use a telephone or the microwave, with little or no usability issues.
High Speed Access and the Novice User
High speed Internet access is growing and the spouses, parents, children, family and friends of the technical Web users are moving toward the Web in greater numbers. Given this trend, it is even more important that your Website is usable at even the most basic levels of Web knowledge.
Potential ROI from the Novice User
How valuable is the novice user to your online business? It is easy to run the math. At a minimum, 10-20% of your Web traffic (and growing) will be novice traffic. Approximately, 70% of Americans are online and this number is growing as well. What would a 10-20% increase in sales look like for your business.
A New Trend in Web Marketing Capturing the Attention of the Novice Web User - To learn more about this author, visit Thomas Young's Website.
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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