If you’re looking at your site and thinking: “It really looks great – the design is wonderful; people are sure to want to visit and learn more about us now,” then you’re probably going to be in for a big disappointment.

Library Services Hierarchy by herzogbr via Flickr

The fact is that while design can improve a site’s performance, it can only do so on sites where the information hierarchy has already been established. People already spread their time too thin, to expect them to search your site for the relevant piece of information they need is unrealistic. They want what they want, and they want it NOW, or they’ll leave. Period.

When you’re setting up your site, the number one thing you need to consider is what your target is actually looking for, and then provide it – in quickly absorbable, bite-sized chunks. So many of the businesses I talk to are under the misguided impression that the goal of their site should be to cause people to go deeper to get what they need – if they learn more about the company, they’ll want to do business with us, right? Wrong.

By providing what the visitor needs quickly and up front, you’ll demonstrate an understanding of their needs. They can learn more about you later – if they decide they need more incentive. Determine what it is about your company that is most compelling, and what your target absolutely needs to know to do business with you. Put that in the premium position on your site – on your home page. Then, develop a hierarchy for everything else you think the visitor wants to know, and what you want them to know, with what the visitor wants always coming first.

Remember, it’s all about QUICK, QUICK, QUICK, and what the visitor wants to know. Having additional support content can be good, but as secondary & tertiary pages the visitor can discover if they so desire. Determining what’s most important to impart is the key to reducing your bounce rate.

How’s your hierarchy working?