When it comes to site redesigns, not all problems are created equal. Companies shouldn’t spend inordinate amounts of time and money fixing site flaws that are minor annoyances at the expense of fixing larger flaws that actually result in lost sales. Here are some tips for prioritizing your site’s flaws.

1. Go for showstoppers, not annoyances. Forrester Research says users experience two types of site flaws: showstoppers and annoyances. Showstoppers are dead-ends, such as site crashes, that leave the user with no alternatives or ways to continue. Annoyances are minor grievances, such as having to wade through pages of small type. Annoyances take time to build up and produce site abandonments. When resources are few, focus on the showstoppers first.

2. Eliminate multi-problem flaws. Sometimes a single flaw can produce multiple problems. For example, irrelevant search results can undermine visitors’ efforts to buy the right product, as well as slow down attempts at resolving post-purchase support issues. Organizations should tackle these types of flaws first, since when they’re done, multiple problems are eliminated.