Web Usability for the People from Venus…

Web usability is quite an old news, for if you have been developing websites on Venus for past few years then you could be barred from not knowing about web usability.You will be gleefully boasting yourself up by creating mammoth splash intro pages, or having pages that take ages to download. Well, here on Earth these days these are the things of past and the concept of web usability rules the work sheets of web development companies.

For all my friends who belong to Venus, I am trying to solve the puzzling conundrum of web usability through this article.

But, before delving into the intricacies of web usability, I would like to acquaint the reader’s with the basic roots of web usability.

So what is web usability? Is it some sort of rocket science or so?

Web usability is a quality parameter which measures how easy is the interface of a website to use for normal users. The term usability refers to the methods applied during the design process in order to improve the ease-to-use quotient of a particular website.

Usability basically stands on five quality elements:

a) Ease to learn: How easy is it for a user to accomplish the basic tasks the first time they encounter the website?

b) Efficiency Factor: After getting familiar with the basics of design, how quickly they can perform the basic tasks?

c) Memorability Factor: When users revisit any website after a long duration of time, how easily they are able to reestablish their proficiency with the interface of website?

d) Errors: How many errors do users make, what is the severity factor of these errors: is it frequent or benumb, and how easily the users recover while facing these errors?

e) Satisfaction: Does the interface of a website leaves a bad taste for its users? Is is very complex and raises a maze of confusion in the mind of users? All in all the final question is how pleasant is it to use the design?

In order to design a usable website you need to apply some user research methods which strictly enforce the key elements of usability in a web design.

Why web usability is important?

While thinking about going online, you must imply usability in your website because it is the necessary condition for survival in the realm of internet. Before applying usability in your website, you have to carefully knuckle all the reasons behind why some people might dislike your website :

Reason 1: Your website is very difficult to use.

Reason 2: The homepage does not clarify the main purpose of your website.

Reason 3: Confusing elements which leaves the feeling of being lost.

Reason 4: Your website does not answer the questions lurking in the minds of its visitors.

Reason 5: Erroneous language of the content in the website.

If your website gives so many reasons for the user to leave, then it can cast a dark shadow for accomplishing the main motive of website creation. Since there are plenty of website’s selling same product, a normal user will choose an easier way out, rather than bugling his head in solving so many hurdles on your website.

How to improve web usability of your website?

Different organizations employ different methods for studying the web usability of their website, but the most useful method is user testing.

Testing generally involves these three elements:

a) Assigning a group of at least 50 people, for the testing task.

b) Asking the user to perform the designated tasks with the design, tasks can be based on:

i) Ease to learn: How easy is to for a user to accomplish the basic tasks the first time they encounter the website?

ii) Efficiency Factor : After getting familiar with the basics of design, how quickly they can perform the basic tasks?

iii) Memorability Factor: When users revisit any website after a long duration of time, how easily they are able to reestablish their proficiency with the interface of website?

iv) Errors: How many errors do users make, what is the severity factor of these errors: is it frequent or benumb, and how easily the users recover while facing these errors?

v) Satisfaction: Does the interface of a website leaves a bad taste for its users? Is very complex and raises a maze of confusion in the mind of users? All in all the final question is how pleasant is it to the design?

c) Analyze what users do while interacting with your website, where they succeed and where they find difficulties with its interface. It is important to let the user’s use your website independently, and do not try to solve their problems while testing. Since helping them will blur the vary motive of carrying out this test.

Courtesy: MiracleStudios.in — Your very own web design company