10 Commandments for improving improving usability to boost conversion rates

Many small things related to web site usability add up to better conversion rates. For instance, the Add to Cart must be high on the page so shoppers can find it easily. Jeff Schueler, president of Usability Sciences Corp., will lay out the 10 commandments of conversion in his presentation, "How Small Design Changes Can Yield Big Conversions," at the Internet Retailer 2006 Conference & Exhibition, 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. June 6.

Schueler’s 10 commandments include:
• Add to cart must be above the fold
• Make it easy to start checkout
• Make your product images as impressive and functional as possible
• Make the default quantity 1
• Make errors easy to correct
• Encourage account creation
• Make product comparisons easy

Schueler will discuss interface, design and flow issues that Usability Sciences has seen to be problematic for Internet retailers in converting shoppers. He will show both good and bad examples from current sites.