You're an idiot!

Well, everyone knows you're an idiot, but this article is not concerned about you.

This article is about simple and shocking truths that should worry you if you create websites or apps (mobile or desktop apps).

I wanted to spend some time writing down a few things about the behaviour of website visitors and app users in general. A behaviour that no-matter how smart or dumb a user is, his online behaviour usually makes him/her a complete idiot.

Before I say anything worrying about your or your users' intelligence, let me put some grounds first. Intelligence is a general term that refers to a large number of concepts like perception, imagination, ingenuity, ability to analyse, ability to synthesize, clarity of thinking and much more. It is also a very relative thing. You cannot just say your are a genius, you have to explain in what aspects of intelligence you are so smart, and comparing to what or who.

One can spend his entire life trying to prove how smart he is, because the upper limits of intelligence are relative and questionable. But that is not the case for the lower limit. Intelligence has a lower limit. It is what you do when you don't think at all. You may argue about the upper limit, but if you just don't think you have hit rock bottom.

So now, imagine an average visitor of your website. He spends only a few seconds browsing your website, then he's out. Why would he spend so little time? There are unlimited answers to that question. Maybe because he was just browsing. Maybe he's looking for something very specific and he didn't found it in your website. Maybe he spends more than a few seconds but he is tired so his mind does not process what he sees. Maybe because he has no motivation to classify your website as important.

There is a mistake that is very common in most websites and apps out there. Their creators (designers, developers, authors, administrators) care more about building something to prove they are important, and they forget the needs of their users. Well, an ugly truth is that users care about themselves. They usually don't give a damn about either the designer, or the developer or the author of the website. So they leave because however beautiful or well-built your website is, it does not concern them.

Now, think very well on that last sentence and re-visualise how a user would feel if he reaches a website that answers *his* problems. He will stay and he will engage with your website. Hopefully, if you haven't put too many obstacles (log in requirements, surveys, requirements to Facebook like your website before it is accessible), he will contact you for more information.

I am practically explaining the essence of what people refer to as UX (User eXperience). When your users are not motivated, find no visual interests, find nothing to gain, find nothing but endless texts and useless widgets scattered around your website, they will spend only a few seconds for you. Then you lost them. Their limited time will not allow them to think, and that will make them look like they're idiots. But the truth is usually far from that. The truth is that you probably neglected to feel for their needs and didn't give much attention to simple functionality and usability advices.

If you want success and traffic for your website, forget about SEO for a minute and think about making the most of less visits. If you succeed to engage a few users, they will make it worthwhile by giving you good reviews to their friends. Quality is the objective, quantity follows.

If I did my job well and you got this far in this text, take my advice: Start re-evaluating your websites and apps *after* you spend some time studying UX blogs and magazines. UX (User eXperience) is a relatively new thing, so not every source you will find is a good source. But as you study their advices you will start realizing what is missing from your website.

Make your way to success by activating the intelligence of your few users, even if they found you by accident. That should be the priority, then SEO and all other types of ad campaigns can make their job efficiently.