"It's good."
"You've done a nice job."
"I don't like it."
At some point, you have
probably received comments like this when asking for
constructive criticism of your website efforts.
Unfortunately, the generic nature of these comments does
not give specific information on elements that you need to
improve your site.
So how do you elicit
specific, constructive, targeted feedback from the public
in order to improve your website? The seven techniques
below, when implemented properly, will give you the
constructive feedback you need to make your website the
best it can be.
1. Ask both closed-ended
and open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions, such as
"how would you rate the site on a scale of 1 to
10?" will provide quantitative measures which, in
aggregate quantities, can be very useful. Open-ended
questions provide your users the opportunity to provide
specific and detailed answers in their own words, thus
providing a more qualitative measure of your website's
appeal.
I generally find that a 60%
closed-ended/40% open-ended mix of questions provides
sufficient data from both a qualitative and quantitative
standpoint.
2. Give your existing
website customers surveys. Your website customers are the
people for whom your site is ultimately constructed, and
showing that you are interested in their feedback to make
your site more useful to them serves as an excellent way
to ensure repeat business.
3. Develop a "focus
group" whom you can approach for advice on a regular
basis. One of the positive aspects of soliciting opinions
is that there are many people who are more than happy to
provide it on a regular basis. Your group can be comprised
of customers, suppliers, friends, neighbours, relatives,
or just about anyone you like!
4. Critique another's
website when asked to do so. By providing a thorough and
constructive evaluation of another person's website, you
will establish a relationship with that other person. When
asked, said person will usually be quite happy to return
the favour.
For those of you who may
wish to participate in this sort of exchange without the
risk of offending someone whom you personally know, you
may wish to visit a web design discussion board that
offers a Site Review section and participate. The
advantage to this method is that you have the option of
posting your site for review; reviewing another's site and
possibly getting ideas for your own site; or, as most
people tend to do, a combination of both.
The following websites,
among many others, offer a site review forum:
5. Purchase an experienced,
professional website analysis. For those of you who aren't
sure which questions you'd like answered about your site,
or perhaps would like a more concrete plan and direction,
you may wish to acquire the services of a website
consulting professional. Depending on what you require in
terms of feedback and your budget, website consulting
professionals can analyze your website for usability;
provide a detailed error and "bug" report;
review your traffic statistics or raw logs; determine if
your website is search-engine ready; and many other
services.
One such company is My Guru
Knows (http://www.myguruknows.com).
Among other business advice services, My Guru Knows can
provide an analysis of your web presence in such things as
Internet sales, database marketing, and interpretation of
web site statistics.
6. Give away a redeemable
website coupon in exchange for survey information. Coupons
are a very effective way to encourage your site's users to
provide you with the marketing information you require. It
doesn't even have to be an expensive item either: it can
be something along the lines of "free ABC Company pen
in exchange for answering these five questions". Mind
you, the nicer and more valuable the item is, the more
survey information you will acquire.
7. Incorporate your survey
elements as part of registration or other interactive
elements of your site. Add a question or two at each
interactive stage, such as "how did you find this
ordering process on a scale of 1 to 10?" By breaking
up your survey, it doesn't appear as obvious to the user
that you are gathering valuable marketing information.
However, the downside is that the marketing information
gathered will be somewhat fragmented, as some elements of
your website will be used more frequently than others.
Use of these seven
elements, by themselves or in concert, should lead to a
substantial increase in both the quantity and quality of
your website feedback and allow you to more accurately
determine how to go about building your website in the
best interest of your customers.
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About
The Author
Adam
Senour is the owner of ADAM Web Design, a
leading web design and development company
in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Visit http://www.adamwebdesign.ca
for more information on ADAM Web Design
products and services. |
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