Test Your Website For Best Performance
Usability is an approach to the development of
products that incorporates direct user feedback throughout the development
cycle in order to reduce costs and create products that meet user needs.
Usability refers to the extent to which a product can be used by your
specific users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency
and satisfaction.
Usability benefits end users (your customers). To have a usable website
you must have an understanding of:
- Users - do you know who are the users of your website?
- Tasks - do you have an understanding of the tasks the users are trying to complete on your website?
- Effectiveness - can a task be performed without significant difficulty?
- Efficiency - are tasks completed quickly and easily?
- Satisfaction - do you know if your website is enjoyable to use?
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If your answer is "no" or "don't know" to any of the
above questions you could be losing customers on your website. |
Benefits of Usability Testing
Good usability benefits your end users - and you.
Improving usability help you sell more, it is cost-effective and you
save money. It creates superior products and improves your sales process.
- Easier to sell - If your website is easier to use, it is easier to sell your products/services.
- Competitive edge - People go to your website, not your competitor's website.
- Satisfied customers - satisfied user's recommend your website and product/service to others.
- Drive loyalty and repeat purchases - Satisfied customers come back and want to buy more from you.
- Increases sales and revenues - You sell more to a lower cost = make more money.
Where To Start
User Experience Evaluation
A quick and low cost analysis of usability is to
conduct a "User Experience Evaluation." This consists of a usability
consultant assessing your website screen by screen against recognized
usability and design principles (heuristics).
The evaluation will look at:
- Site organization
- Labeling
- Navigation
- Aesthetics and design
- Page layout
- Content
- Readability
- Language
- Learn ability
- Graphics
A full report pointing at the main usability problems
will be sent to you. The usability problems will be illustrated with screenshots,
and recommendations for each of the problems.
Based on the results of the "User Experience Evaluation," the next steep that
might be recommended is to conduct "Usability Testing."
Usability Testing
Critical areas of the website can be tested with
real users of your site.
We develop a profile with your help of the typical target population
(age, ethnic, education level, internet level, etc.), and elaborate
5 scenarios and tasks.
We usually test the website with 5 participants. The testing is done on
a one to one basis. Each participant has to perform on your website the
tasks that have been prepared in the previous stage.
A consultant and assistant observe how the participant browses and does
the tasks on the computer. We don't give them any indication on how to
perform it correctly. We just observe them.
They are also given questionnaires to assess their level of satisfaction
with your website.
A report is written based on the test results, also with recommendations
for all the problems observed during the testing.
Why Should I do Usability Testing?
The sooner you find problems, the less expensive
it is to fix them.
Finding and fixing problems early means less rework. That not only saves money,
it reduces designers' and developers' frustration.
You can test branding (Do people realize whose site it is?), navigation
(Can people find what they need?), and organization of the website before
you have developed all the content or coded the entire site.
You can test one part of the content and learn valuable lessons to apply
to other parts that aren't yet developed.
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