Usability and Your Web site

There are a number of Web sites that feature really cool design. Others hold a derth of valuable content. But occasionally, despite the advantages of good content of aesthetic finesse, many Web sites are not designed with the end user in mind.

Not surprisingly, the Web site industry is increasingly hiring Usability experts to help tests sites so that the end construction produces user satisfaction and repeat business. This is especially important for e-commerce sites. If it is too hard to order your Metro ticket online, you simply won't do it. If the online shopping cart for your favorite boutique is confusing, you will shop elsewhere. Likewise for informational sites, you want to break up content into logical, easy to follow categories with a home page that provides an overview of your company or organization.

Here are some tips for increasing the end-user satisfaction with your Web site:
1. Outline the Content.
All those outlines you did in grade school will come in handy. This is your way of mapping the content and organizing it. Decide what your "Chapters" will be in your navigation bar - About, Contact, Services, etc. Then, decide what are the main themes of each "Chapter." These will be your sub navigation bar content. For example, under About - there will be a landing page with an overview of the section, there might be a philosophy or mission page, a history page and/or a meet our staff page.

2. Create a Web Site map.
Decide the relevance of the content on your Web site. Larger sites often feature three or four navigation bars - the primary, secondary, footer and header. Draw a map of lines and boxes that indicate how these pages will connect with one another.

3. Keep your navigation bar consistent throughout the site.
Whether you are on the Home page or the About page, keep the primary navigation consistent. It is easy for users to get lost, especially when all ages are equally likely to find your page. Continue to add a Home link in your primary navigation. While younger users are prone to clicking on the company logo, usually placed in the upper left corner, there are still a large number of Web users aged 30+ that are not familiar with this trick.

4. Scavenger Hunt Testing
Make sure any "Make an appointment" or "Shopping Cart" features are easy to use. Before taking your site live, have your grandma, your neighbor, your 10-year-old niece, your brother and your best friend try to use the shopping cart and all other features on your Web site. Make sure none of these people are Web programmers or designers. You want to test with non-savvy or traditional Web users, with older, younger and peer age groups. But most importantly, find some friends or relatives that are part of your target demographic. Use their feedback to improve the functionality of your Web site so that you have fewer adjustments after it goes live.

5. Continue to improve and update your site.
Web sites act differently depending on changes to Explorer, Firefox and Safari, so expect a few glitches when going live. Also, Web sites are expected to change and to be the most current. Keep pace with the technology and with your clients and continue to improve your Web site so that it is always working for you.

For more ideas about how to improve your Web site, contact Marketicity at 618.281.6648 or 314.266.4450.