S8080 Blog

In the autumn we did a big IA project for a client and we wanted & needed to make the point that sign up for news forms should be VERY short.

The marketing data vultures always want a form longer than my leg (I’m 6ft 5″ so that’s long), so we went to a load of the bigger brands and showed them how they do it – they don’t get their users to jump through hoops to sign up they make it REALLY simple and fast to fill in a form, typically just getting the user to leave their email address.

Here’s how Nintendo do it:

The sign up form is really short, the button is descriptive and obvious and the opt ins are opt ins…

and what I really liked about Nintendo was that right next to the fill in form they tell you what you get before you sign up.

Source: http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/news/index_newsletter.jsp

So next time your marketing data vultures say they want a 40 field form show them how the bigger brand sites do it, and tell them that if they want to increase the number of subscribers they need to reduce the input fields to the absolute minimum.

Instapaper is a really simple way to save web pages for reading later. They give you a little bookmarklet which you can stick in your browser’s bookmarks bar. Then, if you get to an article/page online that you don’t have to time to read just now, click the bookmark and the page will be added to your Instapaper list. Instapaper stores a link to the web page and also creates an easy-to-read text-only version of the page. This is especially handy for reading on the go, with the help of their iPhone application.

I’d certainly recommend it, and it seems everyone else loves it too.

From a web usability point of view, the site is incredibly easy to use. In particular, I really like the signup form:

You don’t even have to set a password! (Although you can later, once you’ve made the account). The barrier-to-entry here is so low, and it’s so easy to get started. It’s a refreshing change from pages-long signup forms that want your name, address, phone number, height, shoe size, favourite flavour of crisps… and something I think more sites should try and aspire to. As Luke Wroblewski says: Signup Forms Must Die!

This Christmas I managed to get everything online or from my local shops in Mumbles, it wasn’t until Wednesday 17th that I decided to get my wine online – Chris said Waitrose were cool so I gave gave them a whirl.

I must admit was impressed – the process just seemed effortless, I didn’t have to think and before I knew it it was all done – which made me think… why was it good?

What I liked:

• It didn’t make me set up a password and an account so it was fast
• It told me why they wanted my email
• It told me how many steps there where and showed my progress
• It told me what the required information was in the standard way
• The next button was obvious (big and colourful) the back button was there but understated
• I didn’t really have to read the forms just a quick scan
• I did the whole order in a few minutes on my laptop in front of the TV one evening

What I didn’t like:

• Having to give my date of birth to prove I was over 18

and yes my wine arrived the next day – hopefully I’ve picked some nice bottles!