More than Shine
The days of shiny destination portals and product sites as all-encompassing consumer conversion tools are over. It is no longer enough that a destination page features a slick presentation; a de-rigueur over-designed marquee that promotes your product. Sensitivity in design is necessary now that users have become more familiar with website use, functionality, and purpose and expect them to provide more than just an advertising pitch. To get consumers to value the site and perform any conversions you intend them to do, your site needs to offer features such as toolsets and other engagement points that are useful and enticing enough for repeat visits for information as well as for functional tasks which yield information and useful results.
A good toolset must involve something that the consumer can take advantage of without actually purchasing the brand’s product to do so. Often these users are seeking information beyond the products themselves. Something as simple as a clearly marked button, a module that enables them to forward information via e-mail to friends or facilitates a download of information, or sample applications can help make consumers view a brand’s site as a useful resource.
tags:design Usability Website