![Page 1: Branding, Search Engine Optimization, & Usability ...teced.com/wp-content/uploads/...Optimization-Usability_Kantner_slid… · Usability & Branding: In Conflict • Budget: reduced](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050611/5fb2af1ceb0c56079703384d/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
©2009 Tec-Ed, Inc. Slide 1
Branding, Search Engine Optimization, & Usability: Competing Interests & Required Components for
Success—Usability Perspective
Position Statement
Laurie Kantner
Tec-Ed, Inc.
April 2, 2009
![Page 2: Branding, Search Engine Optimization, & Usability ...teced.com/wp-content/uploads/...Optimization-Usability_Kantner_slid… · Usability & Branding: In Conflict • Budget: reduced](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050611/5fb2af1ceb0c56079703384d/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
©2009 Tec-Ed, Inc. Slide 2
How Branding, SEO, & Usability Contribute to Website Success
• SEO: Pull visitors to website• Branding: Express identity and push
messages• “Usability”: Pull visitors into successful
experience– Heuristic evaluation– User testing and contextual research
• How do heuristic evaluation & user research fit within SEO and branding activities?
![Page 3: Branding, Search Engine Optimization, & Usability ...teced.com/wp-content/uploads/...Optimization-Usability_Kantner_slid… · Usability & Branding: In Conflict • Budget: reduced](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050611/5fb2af1ceb0c56079703384d/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
©2009 Tec-Ed, Inc. Slide 3
Usability & Branding: In Concert
• Branding enhances usability by:
– Building trust
– Creating recognition
– Increasing comfort in exploring
![Page 4: Branding, Search Engine Optimization, & Usability ...teced.com/wp-content/uploads/...Optimization-Usability_Kantner_slid… · Usability & Branding: In Conflict • Budget: reduced](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050611/5fb2af1ceb0c56079703384d/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
©2009 Tec-Ed, Inc. Slide 4
Usability & Branding: In Conflict
• Real estate allocation: Branded content vs. information above the fold
Branding
1 Search Result
![Page 5: Branding, Search Engine Optimization, & Usability ...teced.com/wp-content/uploads/...Optimization-Usability_Kantner_slid… · Usability & Branding: In Conflict • Budget: reduced](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050611/5fb2af1ceb0c56079703384d/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
©2009 Tec-Ed, Inc. Slide 5
Usability & Branding: In Conflict
• Labeling clarity: “clean UI” vs. meaningful labels
What’s the differencebetween
EXPLORE and
SHOP?
![Page 6: Branding, Search Engine Optimization, & Usability ...teced.com/wp-content/uploads/...Optimization-Usability_Kantner_slid… · Usability & Branding: In Conflict • Budget: reduced](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050611/5fb2af1ceb0c56079703384d/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
©2009 Tec-Ed, Inc. Slide 6
Usability & Branding: In Conflict
• Budget: reduced commitment to user research
– Heuristic evaluation only
– Focus groups instead of usability testing (better than none!)
– Single cycle of usability testing (better than none!)
– Surrogate users
![Page 7: Branding, Search Engine Optimization, & Usability ...teced.com/wp-content/uploads/...Optimization-Usability_Kantner_slid… · Usability & Branding: In Conflict • Budget: reduced](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050611/5fb2af1ceb0c56079703384d/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
©2009 Tec-Ed, Inc. Slide 7
Usability & SEO: In Concert
• Good SEO creates good usability
Meaningful URLs
Strong page title
Purposeful first paragraph
Keyword-rich link text
Use of visitor vocabulary
![Page 8: Branding, Search Engine Optimization, & Usability ...teced.com/wp-content/uploads/...Optimization-Usability_Kantner_slid… · Usability & Branding: In Conflict • Budget: reduced](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050611/5fb2af1ceb0c56079703384d/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
©2009 Tec-Ed, Inc. Slide 8
SEO & Usability: In Conflict
• Quantitative data perceived as sufficient, without user input
Quantitative Data
Qualitative Data (user research)
![Page 9: Branding, Search Engine Optimization, & Usability ...teced.com/wp-content/uploads/...Optimization-Usability_Kantner_slid… · Usability & Branding: In Conflict • Budget: reduced](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050611/5fb2af1ceb0c56079703384d/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
©2009 Tec-Ed, Inc. Slide 9
SEO & Usability: In Conflict
• Schedule compression
SEO User Research
RedesignStart Launch
SEO User Research
RedesignStart Launch
![Page 10: Branding, Search Engine Optimization, & Usability ...teced.com/wp-content/uploads/...Optimization-Usability_Kantner_slid… · Usability & Branding: In Conflict • Budget: reduced](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050611/5fb2af1ceb0c56079703384d/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
©2009 Tec-Ed, Inc. Slide 10
Insights from User Research—Example 1: AAA Website “Facelift”
• 7 usability sessions to look at redesigned home page & 4 second-level pages
![Page 11: Branding, Search Engine Optimization, & Usability ...teced.com/wp-content/uploads/...Optimization-Usability_Kantner_slid… · Usability & Branding: In Conflict • Budget: reduced](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050611/5fb2af1ceb0c56079703384d/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
©2009 Tec-Ed, Inc. Slide 11
Confusion about Terms on Home Page
• If users don’t click on choices, is it because they don’t need them or don’t understand them?
• Testing showed “Financial” and “Savings” confused 4 of 7 users– “I don’t associate
Financial and Savings with AAA”
– “Savings—on auto insurance, if you’re a good driver?”
![Page 12: Branding, Search Engine Optimization, & Usability ...teced.com/wp-content/uploads/...Optimization-Usability_Kantner_slid… · Usability & Branding: In Conflict • Budget: reduced](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050611/5fb2af1ceb0c56079703384d/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
©2009 Tec-Ed, Inc. Slide 12
Example 2: Alltel Website Redesign Testing
• Participants with unlimited phone plans looked for comparable plans on Alltel
• They did not recognize “My Circle” as the equivalent
• They concluded Alltel offered nothing comparable
![Page 13: Branding, Search Engine Optimization, & Usability ...teced.com/wp-content/uploads/...Optimization-Usability_Kantner_slid… · Usability & Branding: In Conflict • Budget: reduced](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022050611/5fb2af1ceb0c56079703384d/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
©2009 Tec-Ed, Inc. Slide 13
Components for Success
• Goal setting
• Skill blending
• Project planning
• Keeping sight of ROI of qualitative as well as quantitative research