Goodwill

We can assume that people have a certain level of goodwill, when they come to your site. This level is different for everyone and depends on the situation. But every obstacle a person encounters reduces this level of goodwill. It happens when the website:

– Hides information: phone numbers, prices, conditions, rules.
– Asks extra questions.
– Punishes for not obvious errors: “Card number should be without spaces”.
– Cheats: “Your call is very important for us”.
– Makes people wait: advertising, downloads, videos.
– Has bad design, navigation, information architecture.

But the level of goodwill can be restored if you:

– Understand the goals of people, know the tasks and provide the most simple solutions.
– Provide useful information in advance: shipping price, fees, contact info.
– Think how to get rid of unnecessary clicks.
– Foresee possible questions in the FAQ.
– Think about convenience at every stage.
– Help to correct mistakes.
– Apologize.

You can find more examples and valuable insights in the book “Don’t make me think” by Steve Krug.