These slides are from a talk about how ‘user needs’ affect both your website and your business. What are user needs? How do you capture them and what do you do with this information? Taking a look at how the UK government has transformed its website by putting the user first, Christine will look at how you can apply the same principles to your website.

1. Why you should listen to user needs
Christine Cawthorne
Crocstar.com
@crocstar

2. Christine Cawthorne
Online copywriter
Former BBC journalist
Homepage editor: Yahoo!, AOL, BT
Social media manager: Pizza Hut Delivery
Content and style guide trainer GOV.UK

3. What I’m going to talk about
User needs – what are they?
Why they’re important
How to capture them
What to do with these needs

4. What is a user need?

5. What is a user need?
It looks at the task a user is trying to complete
on your website

6. What is a user need?
Who is the user?
What are they trying to find on your site?
Why?

7. User needs
I’m a… homeowner
I want to find out… how much a freestanding
floor lamp costs
Because… I have a limited budget after
redecorating my lounge

8. User – not organisation – needs
Don’t focus on your needs!
Often the organisation’s needs are met when we
look after the users first

9. Have a practice
Follow the format:
I’m a…
I want to find out…
Because…

10. Why user needs are important

11. Why user needs are important
You want to attract the right customers

12. Why user needs are important
You want to help your users achieve their tasks

13. Why user needs are important
User (or customer) satisfaction increases
because they can do the task quickly

14. Why user needs are important
Trust levels increase

15. Why user needs are important
You will spend your time creating content that
users need and find useful

16. Why user needs are important
Extra content clutters up search results

17. Why user needs are important
Customer service is more important than
ever so focusing on your users helps you stand
out from the crowd

18. Why user needs are important
Happy customers means more sales

19. How to capture user needs

20. How to capture user needs
You need proof. Don't make it up!

21. How to capture user needs
Do a ‘top task’ analysis – this will show you what
your users think are important

22. How to capture user needs
Analytics will show you what content is accessed

23. How to capture user needs
Analytics will show you what content is accessed
• where existing users are coming from (country
/ search engine / social)
• how long they stay on the site
• the visitor flow through the pages
• how many return
• if they buy online

24. How to capture user needs
Do you have other data?
• call centre records
• emails
• on-page feedback

25. How to capture user needs
You could talk to some existing customers

26. How to capture user needs
You could talk to some existing customers

27. What do you do with these needs?

28. What do you do with these needs?
List what the content should include to meet the
user’s need

29. What do you do with these needs?
What will answer the query?
What should you leave out?

30. What do you do with these needs?
It might be a range of formats:
• text
• a form
• infographic
• video

31. What do you do with these needs?

32. What do you do with these needs?
Use the data you have to write out all the needs
you think your users have on your site

33. What do you do with these needs?
Group similar ones
and review

34. What do you do with these needs?
Change your content

35. What do you do with these needs?
Monitor,
assess, then
improve your
content

36. What do you do with these needs?
Work on
the site’s
UX

37. What do you do with these needs?
Set some website goals
Sell, sell, sell

38. What do you do with these needs?
Review the user needs when you add services
etc so your site accurately reflects what you
offer

39. Questions?
Connect with me on:
Twitter @crocstar
Facebook.com/CrocstarLtd
Crocstar.com