Website Usability

Getting to First Base on the First Date: Download Section Usability Tips

When selling software online and using the try before you buy strategy, there are 2 main actions on your website that you should never compromise on: the Download and the Buy.
They are both extremely important because they are the action triggers that drive conversions on your website.

Describing the "Route 66" to selling software has the main goal of emphasizing on the main usability mistakes that software vendors and their website designers do when it comes to the core of their business: selling software.

Our Route 66 consists of two parts:

• in this one we concentrate on what we think needs to be done to convince your users to download the free trials of your products;
• part two will deal with means of closing the deal - selling the software and - on the most common mistakes in this matter.

Here are our 6 pieces of advice on 6 most common usability mistakes regarding the Download section of websites:

1. Let users know what they are downloading. Don’t surprise them!

The first step a user will make on the route to buying your software is to try it. In order for him to be attracted to trying your software, he must know what is it about, how it can help him, what are the conditions of using it, following the well known neuropsychological model know-like-act.

• Provide relevant images
  Show your users how your software looks like using screenshots, screen casts, box images and other relevant images.
• Present technical terms in a user-friendly manner
  You might be familiarized with your products and their features so well, that you find it natural to use certain terms that mean nothing to your users. Make sure you always explain technical terms, that you use a dictionary for them if needed.
• Context matters
  Near the download now button make sure you provide the most important information about your software, the descriptive one – so that, when users click on your free trial button, they get what they expect.
• User friendly messages
  If you want your users to try your software you almost need to lure them in starting the action. Making it difficult for the user, providing messages that only users with technical background understand will most likely trigger a higher abandonment rate, therefore less chances of conversions. The base rule is simple: Don't make the user think. Let him intuitively act on it.
• End User License Agreement
  Some users are savvier than the others. It just happens that the savviest of them are most likely to spread the word about your software. But then again, if they find anything out of order, they’ll make a huge deal out of it. Yes, EULA is mostly read by such users. Don't give them a reason to not see the good points of your software. You’ll earn their credibility much easier doing things the right way.

Users don't like to be surprised while using your site. If they expect to download a fully functional trial version but only get a limited one, they will feel like their time has been wasted. Details regarding the download files are a must.

Not sure about the method to use? Test it. Use tools like Google Optimizer to test different versions of your download pages. Check out those successful competitors of yours and test even better solutions than what they are using.In the worst case, you'll find out that the method you have in place works great.

2. Download versus Try label

The shareware marketing method allows you to offer to your prospects the possibility of trying out your software before buying the full version. This can be done in several ways, like offering the program to users only for a limited period of time or offering the full version but with no access to updates and support.

No matter the kind of shareware marketed to users, you need a button that allows them to download the trial version. Don’t forget to make that button available on any place and page on your website which the user would expect it to be. Don’t make the user look for it.

The Download Now label might work for some software vendors, while Try Now will work for others, depending on their audiences. However, you should try to optimize it for getting the most clicks on it.

Don't test with the labels only. Try different colors, button sizes and shapes, icons, links versus buttons and so on. This is probably one of the easiest A/B testing you can do on your website.

Make sure you have the best method implemented for you as every download counts.Optimization Blog has many examples and lots of useful information on how to set up tests for your Download pages.

3. Say no to forms

Respect users for trying your software. Don’t make them fill in forms for your trial versions. If you have one implemented, ask yourself the following question: Is it really bringing me more sales? If you don’t know the answer to that, try the performance of the website with the form and without it. So here goes again another idea of A/B testing for improving your website performance.

However, if you have strong conversion rates from your email marketing campaigns, your software is highly specialized or you just don’t want to quit on those forms, bear in mind to ask users to only provide only the absolute necessary information.

In this case what you should test is how do you get the best results: asking for user information before downloading or on the thank you for downloading page? You might get surprised by the final results on sales revenue.

4. So, I am interested... Now what?

The download button is just one click away. In order for your users to be sure on taking this important step in your relationship and in the same time to continue having a great experience, make sure you provide:

• Instructions for installation
  If users download your product and then don’t know what to do with it, how to install it or to use it, then the battle has been lost – they will either quickly uninstall your trial version or forget about it in their computers until they run out of disk space and uninstall it.
• System requirements
  Provide minimum/optimal system requirements. If your software works on Vista only and the user doesn’t know it, then he might think that your software is not working or he will be frustrated that he/she doesn’t know how to use it. Either way, it’s not good for the relationship that has just been initiated. And yes, maybe you should think of it as a relationship.
• Tutorials
  The more visual they are, the easier to understand them. If accompanied by voice the success is almost guaranteed. However make sure that the presentation is not done for a version of software which has additional plug-ins or features installed. Nothing gets more frustrating than watching how to do something in the presentation and not being able to do it on your version of the software.

Here are some examples from Adobe and other software providers helping their users better understand their products:

5. Get feedback from users trying your software

Users trying your product will, at one point, decide on buying it or uninstalling it from their system. Make sure you don’t forget to ask for feedback:

• in key moments while using your software
• when uninstalling

However, don’t push it. If they tell you twice they are not interested in providing feedback, than it means that they are not interested. Don’t bother the users again. They will appreciate it.

Check out this tool from iPerceptions on how to get feedback from users surfing your website. It’s nicely done, and a similar method could be applied to getting feedback from within your software.

4Q is simple, free, and easy way to reach out to your website visitors, capture their feedback, and use their insights to help you plan for success.

6. How to uninstall your software

There comes a point in the user-software relationship when things are not going well, no matter how much you try.

Don’t give up though. There are reasons and reasons for which a user might decide to uninstall your software. Understanding these reasons might give you good ideas on how to improve your software. Sometimes it might mean developing further features and sometime just to give the possibility to disable them. Most of the times are the simple things that bring the big changes.

Just before uninstalling, try to find out the reasons for the sudden break up. Use a very simple form and friendly messages. When you get a pattern on reasons, provide solutions for them. This way the user might give it another try. Even the long lasting relations have strong arguments from time to time.

Well, what if the problem with your product is the price. If this is the case, most likely the users will try your software for the whole period of their trial period. Here's a tip you might try: offer them a discount voucher if uninstalling after the trial period.

We really believe that small changes in your strategy might trigger higher conversion rates. We’ll be back soon with tips on how to "touch down" on your second date with your software: Buy now section usability tips.

Till then, try out these hacks for tracking "download to purchase" conversion rates.

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