Looking at Your Website From the User’s Perspective
I have read countless privacy policies and terms of use. I have to in my role as General Counsel. They vary as they must, but generally terms and policies fall into one of three categories: 1) No consumer protection; 2) Business need driven; and 3) Consumer need driven. Regardless, most policies and terms are not meaningful documents for users. Consider whether anyone reads Amazon’s privacy policy when deciding which digital camera to buy.
To earn user trust then, e-businesses must design their website from a user’s viewpoint. Here are eight questions you should consider when designing your website:
- Do you need personal information (name, address, telephone number)?
- Can users navigate freely between web pages including disclosure screens or are navigation options limited?
- Are there easily accessible links to more information and are the explanations in plain English?
- Is the buttoning and navigation used intuitive and consistent throughout the site?
- If there are several offers, does the site disclose this up front?
- Are the sites landing and main pages designed for easy review including appropriate font sizes and color contrast for easy reading?
- If downloading software, does the site utilize the typical browser protocols including confirmation that you want to receive a specific file?
- Does the site limit the use of pre-checked boxes?
If you answered no to one or more of the foregoing questions, you may be causing users to navigate away from your site.
Hayden Creque, VP and General Counsel, W3i Holdings, LLC
Hayden counsels W3i on intellectual property, Internet law, privacy, and employment law issues. W3i strives to meet or exceed industry best practices.To learn more, click here.
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