Suppose you want to make a quick online purchase, but get annoyed when you can't find the product you want on the Web site. The problem with this scenario, claims Rick Sloboda of Webcopyplus, is the site's architecture. It's important to ensure your customers aren't having a similar experience at your site. According to Sloboda, typical problems with a Web site's architecture include:

• Complicated navigation. This fundamental design error means visitors don't have a clearly marked path to the information they want. Present customers with an online labyrinth and they may give up and leave.
• Confusing classifications. Sloboda points to one client that had a dedicated page for each department. "That's how they wanted to present information," he says. "But was it logical from a potential client's perspective? Not by a long shot." To find information, site visitors had to hop randomly from one page to another.

Problematic content that decreases the efficiency of your site can compound the frustrations of inelegant architecture with:

• Self-centric copy. Address a customer's needs first when you write your copy. "What you want to say is not important," says Sloboda. "It's all about what the customer wants to do."
• Outdated information. It's critical to keep your content current.

The Po!nt: "The right Web site architecture means fewer clicks to get desired information and less effort to complete tasks," says Sloboda. "You're telling visitors you care. Bad Web site architecture sends your visitors a completely different message: Get lost."

Source: An unpublished article by Rick Sloboda of webcopyplus.com.

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