PRIORITIZING WEB USABILITY
Introduction
How the Book Study Was Conducted Tested 69 users ages 20-60
Broad range of job backgrounds and web experience
Used a Windows machine with Internet Explorer
“Thinking Aloud” Method Site-Specific Testing Study
Scavenger Hunt Web-wide tasks
Purpose: To asses how well sites support the most typical goals users have when visiting them
The Web-User Experience How well do people use the web?
Majority have a 66% success rate How people use sites
Search engine dominance 88% go to search engines first when looking for
solutions Spend 30 seconds on home page Spend 45-60 seconds deep link pages Scrolling
Users are “Information Foragers” Your Website is their snack
“You have less than two minutes to communicate the first time a prospective
customer visits your Web site. This is the basic fact about the Web experience:
As far as users are concerned, every page must justify its claim on their time.
If a page doesn’t do that immediately and clearly, they go elsewhere. Most
don’t even bother scrolling to see what’s further down the page.”
Revisiting Early Web Usability Findings
8Problems
That Haven’t Changed
Dense content and
un- scannable
text
Links don’t
change color
Breaking the back button
Opening new
browser windows
Vaporous content
and empty hype
Violating Web-wide
conventions
Design elements that look like ads
Pop-up windows
http://www.useit.com
The Art of “Searching”
Internal Search Engines are good!
Search Interface Needs to be easy
to find on Web site
Search Engine Results Page
Search Engine Optimization
Navigation and Information Architecture
Match structure of site to user expectations
Be consistent Reduce clutter and
avoid redundancy
Be specific with links and label names
Dropdown menus Direct links on
homepage Clickability Cues
“You’ve come to our website like most for information, but unlike other websites we’ve filled it with surprises. So have fun, go find the surprises!”
Typography: Readability and Legibility Use the 10-point
rule Choosing fonts
Veranda is most readable
Moving Text Users associate this
with ads, don’t do it!
Be smart when mixing fonts and colors
Text images Only for snippets of
text Customize for your
target users
http://nihseniorhealth.gov/
Writing for the Web
What turns users away? Confusing content
Understand how web users read Have strong visual
cues
Write for your reader Use simple language Don’t go overboard on
promotional lingo Format text for
readability Highlight key words
Providing Good Product Information Display price and
extra fees clearly Support
comparison shopping Tables Customization
Win customer confidence Describe product Provide pictures Layer product
pages Display bona fides
Presenting Page Elements
“Three-Click” Rule Common layout
mistakes Interactions too complex Too many elements
Should you design for scrolling?
Guide users step by step
Keep similar items in the same area
Use white space correctly
http://www.nba.com
Balancing Technology With People’s Needs Use multimedia when
it benefits your audience
Accommodate low-tech users
Underestimate users technical knowledge
Detect users bandwidth
Stick to familiar interface conventions
Practice simplicity
“Keep your users at the center of your design project. Be humble. Listen to them. They’ll
make you successful.”