3 Ways to Add Web Site Usability and Usability Testing Into Your Web Site Design
By: Sandy Marsico
|
The word "usability" has been gaining popularity and is quickly becoming a standard in web design and development. But what is it? A derivative of the word "usable", usability basically means easy or convenient to use. Apply that to the worldwide web, and you get easy to use web sites.
So easy to use is pretty subjective, right? Well, that depends. Easy to use doesn't just mean bigger buttons, quick links and a condensed navigation. Here's 3 ways to incorporate web site usability and usability testing into your web site: |
Utilize Best Practices
Initial web site usability follows an extensive list of best practices which outline how a user interacts with a site, what they expect of a site, what they hope to accomplish on a site, their method of obtaining information and what confuses them, annoys them, or would make them want to leave. Tons of research has already been done, and this is a great first step. Be aware that not all users function in the same way, so it's best to conduct usability testing with your user for the best user experience.
Informal Usability Testing - Do it YourselfYou only need 5-6 participants to catch 80% of your problems (Jakob Nielsen, March 19, 2000), so set aside some time and have your users try to complete a set of tasks. |
Assuming you don't have access to your end user, grab a coworker (who isn't on the project) and watch their expressions and their navigational habits. It's basic, and rudimentary, but it's a start.
Formal Usability TestingYou're ready to conduct a formal usability study and have some of your customers or potential prospects available to participate in this study (Again, 5-6 users is fine, but don't forget the gratuity). These one-on-one sessions start out with a single user interacting with a web site or wire frame completing a set of tasks, and then a moderator asking them follow-up questions regarding the experience. These sessions usually involve a quiet room, a camera and tracking software to watch a user's expressions and their navigational habits. After the study, the data is analyzed and a formal usability report with key findings and recommendations is written.
The goal of any usability test is to figure out what you're doing right, what you're doing wrong, and learn what your users want. So what are you waiting for?
|
|
Sandy Marsico, Principal
Sandstorm Design: [http://www.sandstormdesign.com]Chicago Web Design & Usability Consulting Firm
tel: 773.348.4200
Are you in charge of developing a complete re-branding initiative? Intranet, web site redesign or interactive user experience? Visit [http://www.sandstormdesign.com/request_a_quote.html]http://www.sandstormdesign.com for a quote today! |
Website Traffic and Maintenance
|
Website Traffic Generation Planning and Methodologies
|
There are both principles and rules of traffic generation; principles have to do with your approach to the task and the rules are the practical nuts and bolts of driving traffic. You need to have an understanding of the larger picture before you can successfully put the practical techniques into action. |
Website Traffic Analysis for Beginners
|
Who is visiting your website and what do they do when they get there? Understanding your website's log files can help clear up the mystery. |
Understanding Web Logs
|
General web statistics give pertinent information about website visitors. Webmasters analyzing these statistics have a better understanding of who their website visitors are and how they perceive the website. |
Internet Marketing, Tracking Your Results
|
When people start tracking their marketing it is all too common that the wrong results are being monitored. Just because your website gets more visitors doesn't mean that you get more money. |
Free Website Traffic
|
From all of my personal testing, classified advertising is still one of the most effective free website traffic and lead generators. Even better than that, it is a completely free website traffic source which just requires a little bit of your time! |
7 Methods the Pros Use to Increase Website Traffic
|
It is no accident that the highest value businesses on the Web are not necessarily the ones with the highest annual profits, but rather the ones with the most website traffic. This is because consistent website traffic presents unlimited opportunities for conversion into profits. |
Tips On Basic Website Improvements
|
Small changes to a website can often result in big changes in your ROI (return on investment). Check out how the following examples can make a big difference in your traffic, clicks and sales. |
7 Different Traffic Generating Methods
|
If there is one thing that every website needs, it's consistent traffic and at times, it is necessary for us to continue to get more and more traffic along the way. |
Link Popularity Finder - Find Out Your Website's Link Popularity
|
Link popularity check is one of the best ways to quantifiably and independently measure your website's online awareness and overall visibility. Simply put, link popularity refers to the total number of links or "votes" that a search engine has found for your website. |
15 Fixes For A Failing Website
|
If your website's not performing, here's what you can do to improve search engine rankings, engage visitors and convert more sales. |
Give Your Site a 10-Point Legal Check-Up
|
Online businesses are now highly regulated, and there's substantial liability if your site's not legally compliant. In addition, your customers are becoming more Internet savvy, and a site that's not legally compliant is not going to be trusted. |
|
The Top 10 Tools for Monitoring the Success of Your Website
|
One of the most important aspects of running a website is monitoring the site and its progress. By monitoring your website you will be able to see how it is performing and how it can be improved. |
 The Search Engine Optimization Process |
|
|
|
|
_archives_ribb.gif){kind=small}
Copyright© 1999 - 2010