Users are getting more selfish OR web sites aren’t engaging?

According to Jakob Nielsen (usability guru), web users are getting more selfish, and leaving a site quickly. Apparently, there are two reasons to this.

1) Site designs have become better, but users have become accustomed to the online environment.

2) Improvements in search engines are taking users directly to a page or destination inside a site. In 2004, about 40% of people visited a homepage and then drilled down to other pages, but in 2008, only 25% of people travel via homepage.

You’ve probably heard this over and over, but every sites are unique in different ways. So from web analytics stand point, it is always recommended to test. Test, Test, Test!!

Following processes and metrics should help you gauge user engagements from search.

• Learn your analytics software, and segment your users by organic and paid search. Gauge the % referrals from these sources.
• Evaluate the exits, bounce rates, entry pages, etc. Compare these with visitors from search against traffic from other sources.
• Test against different site versions and different timeframe. Your research and optimization will give you valuable learnings. You can find out if Dr Nielsen is right or not.

Original article from BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7417496.stm