Comments on: Micro-optimisation can reap macro-conversion http://www.redeye.com/microoptimisation-reap-macroconversion/ Improving conversion for over a decade Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:02:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Marc Abrams http://www.redeye.com/microoptimisation-reap-macroconversion/#comment-26 Marc Abrams Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:40:49 +0000 http://www.redeye.com/?p=2130#comment-26 I agree completly with everything being said here. Handling phone number variations requires minimal coding (you just need to strip any character that is not a number). I had a lot of similar issues on many occasions. Here's just some examples: - Phone # with a country code (00386) is not excepted. - Phone # with a '+' sign in the country code (+386) is not excepted. - Correct postal # is not excepted. - Required ZIP code for non-US citizens. - No UTF-8 support (for special characters), while requesting exact data (i.e. from my bank account). - Correctly formed email, not getting accepted. - Password strength checker, not allowing me to proceed, because my 20-character password (using mixed chars including special chars and numbers) is marked as weak. It accepted '123456' as a good password. It is plain stupidity, to neglect form usability. Here's another idea: use warnings, instead of error messages. This way users may double-check the data, but still be able to proceed(override the validation), when "smart-ass" algorithms think something is wrong with it. I agree completly with everything being said here.
Handling phone number variations requires minimal coding (you just need to strip any character that is not a number).

I had a lot of similar issues on many occasions. Here’s just some examples:

- Phone # with a country code (00386) is not excepted.
- Phone # with a ‘+’ sign in the country code (+386) is not excepted.
- Correct postal # is not excepted.
- Required ZIP code for non-US citizens.
- No UTF-8 support (for special characters), while requesting exact data (i.e. from my bank account).
- Correctly formed email, not getting accepted.
- Password strength checker, not allowing me to proceed, because my 20-character password (using mixed chars including special chars and numbers) is marked as weak. It accepted ’123456′ as a good password.

It is plain stupidity, to neglect form usability.
Here’s another idea: use warnings, instead of error messages.
This way users may double-check the data, but still be able to proceed(override the validation), when “smart-ass” algorithms think something is wrong with it.

]]> By: Jez D http://www.redeye.com/microoptimisation-reap-macroconversion/#comment-25 Jez D Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:19:58 +0000 http://www.redeye.com/?p=2130#comment-25 It's nice to see focus on usability and accessibility instead of the usual tacky gimmicky items. You may be interested in my article about <a href="http://blog.uk-webdeveloper.co.uk/?p=110" rel="nofollow">Enquiry forms</a> Thanks Jez D (I know my URI needs changing :-) ) It’s nice to see focus on usability and accessibility instead of the usual tacky gimmicky items.

You may be interested in my article about Enquiry forms

Thanks
Jez D
(I know my URI needs changing :-) )

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