What we learned in January

By combining eye tracking with traditional usability techniques, we can reveal secrets that would otherwise be missed, as we discovered when working with a leading clothing retailer. Our client’s team was able to watch the studies in real time, so they could see where participants looked when asked to perform tasks, making for a much richer evaluation experience.

We were surprised that nine out of ten participants struggled to find the link to the homepage when it wasn’t labelled, even though the site used the convention of having a logo link in the top left.

We also compared two website designs to see which parts users focused on, which helps to find the best place for advertising.

When we tested the newsletter, we could confirm the conventional wisdom that users seek novelty: test participants focused their attention on fresh content and skimmed over the ideas they already knew.

As it stands, retailers will have little control over the process, which will break the branded experience customers have on their websites.

We’ve also been researching how you can persuade customers to spend more. A grocery retailer and an airline commissioned us to find out the best way to cross-sell and upsell. Customers have learned that messages on the edge of the page are often adverts, so they ignore promotions placed there. To get attention, upsell and cross-sell notifications should appear in the main content window. It’s essential that they do not block the customer’s path through the site, though, and that they stand out enough to avoid confusing users about the transaction they’re making. Upsell and cross-sell promotions are most effective when customers understand what they are and can decide whether to pursue them or not.