Smart Mortgage Marketing

Website usability refers to how easily (or difficultly) people can use a particular website. In this regard, website usability has everything to do with your online mortgage marketing success.

How does website usability related to mortgage marketing online? Let me illustrate with the following hypothetical (but realistic) scenario.

Picture this…

You are waiting behind your mortgage website, eager and ready to take on a new client. A potential client has just stepped up in front of your mortgage website, eager and ready to hire a professional, friendly mortgage broker like yourself.

But here’s the problem. You don’t know the potential client is there. After all, how could you? The person has not contacted you yet. They’ve only just arrived. So in order to connect with them, they first have to enter your mortgage website, navigate their way through it, find it useful and helpful, and then contact you in some fashion.

Now we see where usability comes into play. Because what if the visitor can’t use your website? What if he or she finds the menu confusing, or can’t find your mortgage rates, services, products, etc.?

That’s right … they’ll leave your mortgage website as quickly as they came. After all, there are plenty of other mortgage websites to visit.

Here’s the bottom line. If a person can’t use your website, you have no chance to connect with them. You don’t have the luxury of personally guiding visitors through your website. Upon arriving, they are totally on their own.

Usability Hot Spots
Entire books have been written on website usability (like Don’t Make Me Think). So let’s just cover some of the basics. Here are some usability “hot spots” that can always use improvement.

1. Navigation. Label your navigation in a clear way. Don’t be cute or clever.

2. Home page. Keep your home page clean, inviting and uncluttered.

3. Action paths. Define the actions you want people to take, and present them in a clear way.

4. Calls to action. People will go where they want on your site, but it helps to offer direction.

5. Interactivity. If you have mortgage calculators or anything else requiring visitor input, be sure to offer clear and ample instructions.

6. Web conventions. Following web conventions (like making your logo a link to the home page) helps visitors get around by using things they’re familiar with.

Related Article: Usability Equals Visibility