There are a few things one must think about when designing ones web site . Think about whether your web site is working for you and if you are getting realistic conversion rates. If not, there are a number of issues worth thinking about , one important one being the ‘3 click rule’.
This rule has been around for quite a while now, and different web developers have argued for and against it. It’s a bit like the nature nurture argument but although the jury is still out, it’s one thing I always try to adhere to.
Here is what is says ‘The three click rule says that any part of a website or application must be accessible in 3 clicks, if not users will become frustrated and go .’
I’ve decided to put it to the test using the three 3 most successful web sites online today .
Amazon – Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is an American-based multinational electronic commerce company. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, it is America’s largest online retailer, with nearly three times the Internet sales revenue of the runner up, Staples Inc. as of January 2010. Source Wikipedia
The Results
I visited www.amazon.co.uk in search of a specific cookbook for my niece , ‘Gordon Ramsey – Great Escape’.
Click 1. From the left hand navigation, I chose ‘Books’.
Click 2. From the newly formed left hand navigation I now chose ‘Food and Drink’
Click 3. Centre of the page there it is pictures of the cookbooks in that section and ‘Gordon Ramsey – Great Escape’ was one of them.
www.amazon.co.uk – Passed !
Play.com – Play Ltd. trading as Play.com is a Jersey-based online retailer of DVDs, CDs, books, gadgets, video games, DRM-free mp3 downloads, and other electronic products, as well as clothes and accessories. Founded in 1998, Play.com was one of the first online retailers targeting the UK. It is the second biggest online retailer in the UK market according to traffic monitor Hitwise, and it is in the top 50 globally. Play.com was ranked second on the November 2006 UK “Hot Shops List” compiled by IMRG and Hitwise. Play.com has 7,000,000 registered customers, a catalogue of over 8,000,000 products, and it employs some 500 staff. Source Wikipedia
The Conclusion
I visited www.play.com in search of a PS3 game for my niece , ‘Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits’.
Click 1. From the top navigation I clicked ‘Games – Sony PS3’
Click 2. From the newly formed left hand navigation I now chose ‘Rhythm and Music’
Click 3. I had to scroll a bit but there it was ‘Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits’ and the final click took me to it .
www.play.com – Passed !
Asda – Asda is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, toys and general merchandise .
Asda became a subsidiary of the American retail giant Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, in 1999, and is the second largest chain in the UK after Tesco, having overtaken Sainsbury’s in 2003
The Conclusions
I visited www.asda.co.uk in search of a tin of ‘Heinz Baked beans’.
Click 1. From the top navigation I chose ‘Groceries’
Click 2. From the newly formed top hand navigation I now chose ‘Tins, jars and packets.’
Click 3. From the top sub-navigation I now chose ‘Tinned Veg, Beans and Pulses’ and then on the page that loaded were the ‘Heinz Baked beans’
Some would now argue I have to take a further click to get to the details of that product, but would the user leave because they have not found their product? I personally don’t think they would.
www.asda.co.uk – Just OK !
So to conclude the findings of the above , www.asda.co.uk was clearly 1 click more than the other 2, I think some of you may even think that the other 2 did it in 2 clicks, and maybe you’re right. But one thing that does stand out from all this research is that whether we web developers think ‘The 3 Click Rule’ is ‘fact or myth’ it is clear the top websites are sticking to it!
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