We live in a connected world. We’re tethered to our phones, and we can hardly imagine our lives without them. As soon as a thought our question strikes us, we turn to our smartphones looking for answers.
It’s something we do so impulsively and briefly that we might not even register it. Where should we go for dinner? How late is the store open? I need to register for that event.
Google calls these micro-moments, and defines them as “intent-rich moments when a person turns to a device to act on a need.”
Your audience is experiencing micro-moments all day, everyday, and you can take advantage of them to drive engagement on your organization’s website.
There are three main categories of micro-moments for mission-driven organizations: I-want-to-know moments, I-want-to-go moments and I-want-to-do moments. Let’s talk about each of these in more detail, and think through some ways you can capitalize on these moments on your website.
I-Want-to-Know Moments
I-want-to-know moments occur when someone is exploring or researching, but not necessarily ready to take action. They might be looking to answer questions like: Who are you? What do you offer? Who is on staff? During this moment, a person is on your site looking for information and forming their initial opinions about your organization. Ensure you are leveraging this moment:
1. Write and design for Skimmers, Swimmers and Divers.
While people may be coming to your site because they want to know something, they have different levels of time and energy they are willing to exert. We like to think of visitors as Skimmers, Swimmers and Divers, classifying them by how deep they are willing to go on your site. When you’re adding content to your site, be sure you are considering each of these types of users and what they are looking for.
Skimmers want to get in and get out. Use clear headlines and subtitles to quickly communicate the main ideas and help them visually move through the page quickly.
Swimmers are willing to spend a little more time exploring if something catches their attention. Keep important info front and center, but provide related content that may pique their interest.
Divers will take their time perusing your site. Provide the detail they are looking for, but don’t let it get in the way of Skimmers and Swimmers. Use multimedia and interactive elements to enhance their experience.
2. Use video to communicate important content.
Video is a compelling way to share information while adding a human touch to your website. You can use video almost anywhere on your site — introduce your staff, feature your products and services, or answer FAQs.
I-Want-to-Go Moments
I-want-to-go moments occur when someone is ready to engage in person by visiting your location or participating in an event. They might visit your site looking to answer questions like: What time does it start? What should I expect? Where do I park?
1. Keep your site up-to-date.
Unfortunately, this has to be said…your site should always be up-to-date. Nothing kills engagement like seeing outdated information, abandoned blogs or forgotten pages. If you don’t have the resources to keep a section updated, you’re better off eliminating it from the site.
2. Update your online listings.
When someone is planning to visit, they may not use your website at all. They might go to Google Maps for directions or Facebook to see your hours. Ensure that your information is accurate on all public listing sites.
I-Want-to-Do Moments
I-want-to-do moments occur when someone wants to complete a task or take action. They might be looking to make a purchase or donation, download a resource, watch a video, or register for an event. Now that you have people on your site ready to take action, leverage this moment!
1. Speed up your site.
According to Google, 53% of visits are abandoned if a site takes more than three seconds to load. Keep your site is operating at peak performance so you don’t lose visitors to short attention spans.
2. Simplify your navigation.
When there are too many choices, people get overwhelmed and paralyzed. Take a hard look at your navigation and see if you have room to simplify. Remember, navigation is not the place to be clever with wording. Use words that are clear and concise so people have an idea of what they’re going to get before they click.
3. Optimize for mobile.
It’s critical that your site is optimized for mobile. Most likely the majority of your traffic is now using a mobile device. It’s no longer enough for your site to just be mobile responsive as an afterthought. It needs to be optimized for mobile, meaning it’s built specifically to provide a good user experience on mobile devices.
