User dynamics refers to the relationship between websites and their users. User dynamics are good when the user feels the website is on the same ‘wavelength’, providing what they are looking for and respecting their needs. User dynamics are bad when the user feels offended, confused, or frustrated that they are wasting their time. Here are some ways to improve user dynamics.
To establish good user dynamics you need to know your users
Good websites are designed, written and maintained for end-users. Right? So how much do you know about your end-user? How much do I know about you? To establish good relationships with our sites’ users we need to set the style, tone and content of the site just right. We need to make sure we present our sites in ways that do not frustrate, offend or waste time. In other words we need to know our website users.
Gather statistics on site visitors
Gathering good statistics on users of our websites is essential if we want to build good user dynamics. The more information the better. You will at least need to know.
- How many visitors you have had
- How they got to the site
- The keywords they used to find you
- Which pages are most popular
- Which page they left from
- Their geographical location
SmarterStats does a great job and is free for download and it is provided free and ready to go by many hosting services. SmarterStats gets a very high rating from Tucows and presents all the information you need in a great graphical interface. The free version is limited to providing statistics for one site only but is otherwise the same as the paid versions.
Google analytics is a useful option for people who are using google adwords to advertise. Google analytics will help you work out which ads are being the most successful for you as well as giving you a heap of other statistical information about your site.
Add a survey to your site - free of charge
If only we could ask users of our websites what they want, how they found out about us, what improvements they would like to see. How wonderful it would be. Well we can. Add a simple survey to your site now and then. Search google for ‘free online polls’.
Respond to contributors
Everyone thrives on encouragement. People who contribute to your wiki, blog or other website are more likely to return and contribute again if they are thanked and encouraged. You have to be careful to get the balance right of course. Automated comments are easy to recognise and don’t mean much. Over personal ones can be overwhelming. Over detailed ones, which sound authoritative, sound like the ‘last word’ on a topic and discourage others from contributing to the debate. You need to work it out what seems the best balance for your website and your visitors. Something like: “interesting comment, Jim. This issue has been puzzling me for some time. I am looking forward to what other people have to say”, might fit the bill.
Of course to comment on a contribution you need to know a contribution has been made. A collaborative website, such as a wiki, that allows you to receive email notification or an RSS feed of recent changes is essential if you really want to work on promoting your website.
Tagged with: Design
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