Understanding what makes a website “good”

Let’s get one thing straight. It’s easy to get distracted and define “good” by some amorphous, personal definition. Good looks are important — but it’s the user experience that’s key to conversion.

We use neuro-scientific models to make our websites better. Let’s get into that.

What’s the Fogg Behavioral Model?

The Fogg Behavioral Model, created by Dr. BJ Fogg, helps us understand human behavior in a straightforward way.

It suggests that behavior happens when motivation, ability, and prompts come together at the same time. For a person to do anything at all, they need to:

• feel motivated
• find it easy to do
• be prompted effectively.

By using this model, we can build websites that not only attract visitors but also keep them coming back.

High motivation: I want to do it

If you want your user to take action, like click a big red button, fill out a form, or purchase, they need to feel motivated.

Where does motivation come from?

• Perceived benefits: “These app features are perfect for my new podcast”
• Emotional connection: “A nonprofit creating homeless shelters on planet Jupiter? That makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Donated.”
• Incentives: “30% off a Stanley cup? Yes please.”

Understanding what drives your visitors is key to motivating them effectively

We often go wrong by not understanding what actually motivates our target audience/users/ICP. The solution? More qualitative research. Get on the phone with your users to understand which features they actually like, or why maybe they should put homeless shelters somewhere else.

Read more about qualitative research in this post.

High ability: It’s easy to do it

Can users easily complete tasks on your website? Don’t assume they can. Instead, sit down with someone who isn’t familiar with your service and ask them to complete a few tasks. Even basic forms can be riddled with errors.

Here are a few key areas to simplify:

• Navigation: Can users find key information and pages easily? (Are they constantly reaching out about questions that can easily be answered on your website?)
• Mobile: Is important content immediately visible, or is a lot of info tucked away in a hard-to-navigate mobile carousel? Are buttons easily to click?
• Forms: What questions are absolutely essential for the very first touchpoint? Remove everything else.

Increase motivation by simplifying your education

Always provide important info in a straightforward way to reduce cognitive load.

• Speak in plain English (at least 95% of the time)
• Add realistic (and simplified!) product imagery (like the app interface) and GIFs to make features self-explanatory
• Build trust and reduce FUD (fears, uncertainty and doubt) with trust signals and social
• Add a resource library

Nail your copywriting: Always use front-loading

Always assume that someone is looking at your website at 3 PM on a busy workday before their next coffee. Because they are.

Put the most important information in the headline. And in the very first sentence. Our brains capture the most important information at the beginning. Effective front-loading can significantly improve engagement and retention.

Wrapping it up: 3 takeaways

1. Learn what motivates your audience, then put that front and center on your website.
2. Comb your website for obstacles that are making it harder than it needs to be to find info or make the next move.
3. Put the most important sentence first.