Posted by Adam T. Sutton in Website Design Tips	June 25, 2007

Inconsistent website design and navigation lowers conversion rates

By Adam T. Sutton, Managing Editor, Mequoda Group, LLC

Since online publishing is so far from maturity, there are very few absolutes.

But one thing you can always count on is that users do not like to be confused.

When users come to your website, they want simple and consistent navigation.

The easier your website is to use, the more it will satisfy users, the more repeat visits you'll get and the more conversions you'll have.

Some website publishers, however, are not reaping the benefits of a well-designed site.

Many times users will arrive at a poorly designed website, perform a few clicks and encounter an entirely new design and navigation.

This makes users think more to navigate, and that slows them down.

The longer it takes users to complete tasks on your website, the greater the chance they will fail to convert and leave to a competitor's site.

Imagine a clock over the head of every first time visitor to your website. When the time runs out on that clock, they will be so frustrated that they'll leave.

It's better to make it easy for users to move around your site and beat the clock.

For example, when users visit your membership website, they should not have trouble moving around the website and deciding if a membership is worth purchasing.

If your navigation is confusing, users won't have time to decide if a membership is right for them—they'll just leave to a better designed competitor.

There are many other key areas in website design—especially membership website design—but consistent navigation is one of the most important.