• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, June 6, 2002

Satisfied Users Are Key To Driving Traffic

A new international study from Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) shows that word of mouth is far more important than search engines or links for attracting regular users. Nearly twice as many regular users of a web site say that they first found the site through friends or relatives, than through a search engine. Furthermore, 98 per cent of satisfied users say they would recommend a site to someone they know, compared to only one per cent of dissatisfied users.

Arno Hummerston, Head of TNS Interactive Solutions, Worldwide, said "The importance of personal recommendation for attracting loyal users means unsatisfactory sites undermine the opportunity to expand their long-term user base."

Key areas that respondent stated they were particularly unsatisfied with or indifferent towards were:

• Regularity of content updates (37 percent)
• Ability to personalize the site (33 percent)
• Quality of search tools (32 percent)
• Download speed (32 percent)

On the satisfaction side, however,

• 71 percent of users are happy with site navigation
• 69 percent with user friendliness
• 68 percent of users are satisfied with the exhaustiveness of content
• 72 percent are satisfied with the quality of web site content

Hummerston concludes that "regular users want more than just easy navigation and basic content. They want more personalized information and sites that are relevant to their specific needs. Good search facilities and regularly updated content are key to improving the user experience."

You can find out more here.