Don’t Make Me Think – Two Simple Rules for Online Success

I’m rereading a great book on web usability – Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug. If you don’t read beyond the first page of the first chapter but apply the 2 simple rules (one, a footnote) you’ll find there then the book will more than pay for itself.

The first and, according to Krug, the most important rule is the book’s title, “Don’t make me think!” In other words, don’t make visitors to your web site or consumers of your email communications think about …

• What your site is about
• What your message is
• What this button does
• What they can do on your site
• What to do next

According to Krug, “…a web page … should be self-evident. Obvious. Self-explanatory.” So if yours isn’t, make it so!

His second rule, nestled in the footnotes is simply what I call the Law of 1/4. He states, “Get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what’s left.” Why? Well for one, web visitors generally don’t read, they scan. Think about it, when’s the last time you actually read, rather than scanned a web site upon arrival. Even with articles you’re interested in, you scan it first before committing to the time to actually read it.

So, two simple rules…

1. Don’t make ‘em think.
2. Less is more.

So there it is, all you need to make your web or email communications more effective, truly in a nutshell.