Tuesday Tidbit: Does Your Website Let Visitors Choose Their Own Adventure?

Welcome to Tuesday! It's tidbit time. This week, I want to share with you a fun and useful article I stumbled upon on Search Engine Journal's website about conversions. If you like this post, click the "get your weekly tidbit" icon below to get a weekly update each Tuesday right to your inbox. 

In a nutshell, the article describes how your website should be like a "choose your own adventure" book, rather than a traditional novel. I thought this was a perfect way of explaining it! Visitors to your website are going to come for different reasons, through different channels. Your website will get navigated in many different ways, with different end goals. So, let those visitors easily choose their own adventure by guiding them with your on-page content.

My favorite quote from the article:

Far too often, websites are built like traditional novels. Instead of giving visitors options, the website tries to force visitors to the sale, without giving them any of the adventures. Ultimately, the result for far too many websites is the demise of the conversion.

This one too!

Many businesses think the navigation is what visitors use to get from page to page, but the page itself must present some navigation options for the visitor.

Imagine reading a choose your own adventure novel and having to go to the table of contents to figure out what to do next? That would make no sense and add a layer of complication. Same goes for forcing your visitors to use navigation to figure out where to go next when on your site.

Such a good way of looking at it! Don't get caught up in thinking your users will only use your navigation to get to where they need to be. Let them choose from several paths to conversion by adding well-placed contextual links and callouts throughout your website.

Intrigued? You should definitely read the full article!