Usability & eMarketing
What is usability?
Exactly what it sounds like. It is a measure of how easy your site is to use. But before you can determine how easy it is to use your site, you must determine what it is that your site is used for. Sounds simple, right? Not necessarily. Research shows that users cannot find what they're looking for on the web 60% of the time (User Interface Engineering Inc.). Making assumptions about what users want can be very costly, and the only way to know for sure what they want is to ask them directly.
Testing your site's usability
Testing the usability of your site is really the only way to find out how satisfied - or frustrated - your visitors are. Getting results from these tests need not be an expensive undertaking; many small companies conduct essential usability tests with just 3-5 users. Tests can be carried out to explore possibilities during site development, to assess effectiveness during a launch, and to evaluate success after the launch.
There are various ways of testing for usability.
· Heuristic evaluations require the help of specialists and are conducted during the prototype stages of an e-commerce project.
(Find more information about heuristic evaluations by clicking here)
· Usability tests are conducted with actual end-users; only 3-5 users are needed to obtain a significant amount of valuable data.
(Guidelines for conducting a simple usability test for your site)
· User and task analysis - the process of learning about ordinary users by observing them in action - takes place before any design begins.
(For more information about user and task analysis click here)
Usability converts browsers to buyers
When it comes down to the bottom line, usability is all about customer service. You want users to enjoy their experience on your website, get what they need, get it easily, and come back for more. User experience - or UX - will make or break your e-commerce venture. Sites with well-constructed UX convert more browsers to buyers, increase loyalty, and reduce customer care costs attributable to dissatisfied patrons.
Elements that impact usability
Developing a usable site is essential to success on the web. Here are some considerations to take into account when you design - or re-design - your site.
Design
· Make the site user-friendly, user-centric and FAST
· Separate meaning from presentation
· Make site available to all hardware and all browsers
· Avoid pop-ups and frames
· Limit use of animation and plug-ins
Maintenance
· Keep information current and ensure that all links work
· Test, test, test (usability, HTML, browser range, hardware platforms, etc.)
Navigation
· Provide search function, index or map of site
· Keep it consistent and intuitive
· Let users know where they've been and where they're going
· Limit use of image links and image maps
· Use standard web icons, text colours, etc. to create familiar environment
Content
· Create web-specific content
· Write for scanability
· Keep it concise and plain
· Place important information near the top of the page
· Make error messages informative and helpful
· Title each page with short, clear text
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Did you know?
Usability has a cost-benefit ratio of $1:$10-$100, that is, for every dollar spent implementing usability techniques, the site owner will realize a benefit between $10 and $100. Not a bad return on investment.
Source: Compuware Corporation
Forrester has found that 75% of empowered consumers return to sites because of high-quality content and 66% come back because of ease-of-use. So it is not longer the "cool" sites with animation and slick design that get repeat traffic. Now, it's the quality content and user experience that build loyalty with visitors and lure back online customers and prospects.
Source: Forrester Research
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eMage Sites of the Month
Usable Web
Directory of resources on web usability.
UseIt.com
Usability guru Jakob Nielson's website. Includes his bi-weekly column on web usability, as well as relevant reports, books, and recent published interviews with Mr. Nielson.
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eMage Tip of the Month
Four simple steps to improved usability:
· Skip the search - If users have to rely on the search button on your site to find what they're looking for, they are 50% less likely to get what they're after.
· Link length - links with descriptive text between 7 and 11 words are most likely to get users to their target.
· Limit clicks - if 4 clicks don't get users where they want to go, they'll bail.
· White out - too much white space on a page tends to leave users feeling that the site is overly complicated and difficult to use.
Source: CIO.com
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