|
|
|||||
|
Web Usability: The Basics
What is web usability & why is it important? Web usability is about making your website in such a way that your site users can find what they're looking for quickly and efficiently. A usable website can reap huge benefits on to your website and your business. * Every £1 invested in improving your website's usability returns £10 to £100 (source: IBM) * A web usability redesign can increase the sales/conversion rate by 100% (source: Jakob Nielson) Your website has to be easy to navigate Users have gradually become accustomed to particular layouts and phrases on the Internet, for example: * Organisation logo is in the top-left corner and links back to the homepage * The term 'About us' is used for organisation information * Navigation is in the same place on each page and adjacent to the content * Anything flashing or placed above the top logo is often an advertisement * The term 'Shopping cart' is used for items you might wish to purchase There are numerous other conventions like these that enhance your website's usability - can you think of some more? Don't underestimate the importance of these conventions - as the Internet matures we're getting more and more used to things being a certain way. Break these conventions and you may be left with nothing but a website with poor usability and a handful of dissatisfied site visitors. Pages must download quickly Usability studies have shown that 8.6 seconds is the maximum time web users will wait for a page to download (source: Andrew B. King - Speed Up Your Site). As of March 2004 just 25% of UK web users had broadband (source: UK National Statistics) so it's essential for optimal usability that your website downloads quickly. To speed up the download time of your website we recommend you do three things: * Use CSS and not tables to lay out your web page * Use CSS and not images to create fancy navigation items * Read this article about how to speed up the download time of your web pages at http://www.webcredible.co.uk/speed Information should be easy to retrieve We read web pages in a different manner to the way we read printed matter. We generally don't read pages word-for-word - instead we scan. When we scan web pages certain items stand out: * Headings * Link text * Bold text * Bulleted lists Did you notice that images were left out of that list? Contrary to the way in which we read printed matter, we see text before we see images on the Internet. For optimal website usability don't place important information in images as it might go unnoticed. Restrictions must not be placed on users Don't prevent your users from navigating through the Internet in the way that they want to. For example: 1. Every time a link is opened in a new window the back button is disabled. Approximately 60% of Web users employ the back button as their primary means of navigation (source: Usability Interface). If you do this then you're preventing 60% of your users from using their primary navigation - now that can't be good for usability. 2. Don't use frames to lay out your website. Frames can cause a number of usability problems, namely: * Disabling the back button (see above) * Bookmarking not possible * Impossible to e-mail the link to someone else * Problems with printing * Users feel trapped if external links open in the same window * Search engine optimisation issues There are lots of other ways that websites can place restrictions on its users, ultimately damaging their usability - can you think of any more? Just think back to the last time a website really infuriated you - what annoying thing did it do to make you feel that way? This article was written by Trenton Moss. He's crazy about web usability and accessibility - so crazy that he went and started his own web usability and accessibility consultancy ( Webcredible - www.webcredible.co.uk">http://www.webcredible.co.uk ) to help make the Internet a better place for everyone. They offer fantastic accessibility & CSS support packages, which you can read all about at www.webcredible.co.uk/support">http://www.webcredible.co.uk/support .
MORE RESOURCES: | ||||
|
|
Web Publishing Guide for the Beginning Entrepreneur (Part 1)
The best things don't come easy. - QuotedThe finished web pages in your hands could be likened to a painting by Michelangelo without the Sistine Chapel.
Why Your Site Should be Developed with CSS and Semantic Markup
Why your site should be developed with CSS and semantic markupOne thing that I have learned in over a decade developing web sites is that the Net is continually changing, and to keep up you need to change with it. One of the more recent developments in web design is the use of CSS and semantic markup.
Web Site Professionalism? What Is It?
Your web site should be-visitor friendly to navigatesearch engine friendly for the crawlersAutomated with ecommerce and subscription forms..
Has Your Design Firm Run Amuck With Your Web Site?
What's happening to good web site design? Somehow we creative types at interactive and traditional ad agencies have run amuck - we're building web sites that may dazzle the senses, but don't really communicate much about our client's business or products and services!1. Somehow I don't think anyone has a burning desire to spend 30-60 seconds on the Index page of a web site while another fancy Flash animation loads, complete with snazzy graphics, audio, and way cool cutting edge graphics - not!! People want to get real information, not razzle-dazzle graphics showing how great a developer is using the latest whiz bang technology!2.
Web Design for Dictators
No question about it, web design is an art. Finding the right blend of style and usability is a delicate balance that few, if any, fully master.
Website Creativity: Why It Matters Now More than Ever
If one more business owner tells me their website sucks because they're just "too darn busy to deal with it", I'm gonna hurl. That's like saying, "I'm doing business in my dirty underwear because I'm too busy to get dressed.
5 Instant Tips for More Online Sales
Even after you've managed to bring traffic to your site you may be losing sales because of problems with your site's usability. What's "usability"?Usability is how easily people are actually able to use your site.
How to Create an Enjoyable Web Page Design
Novice and professional designers alike - you may probably be skilled enough of any one or all of the techniques in creating a Web page and designing them. However, not all designs, even those made by authorities in the field, prove to be enjoyable and entertaining enough for the users.
Effective Web Design Usability Principles
Website Design Usability Tips1. Getting to know about audience membersYou want a site that has personality and quality content based on your audience taste.
Content is Crucial!
Content is undoubtedly the most important element of a website. It is the defining factor for a website, that which catches the interest of your visitors and keeps them hooked to your site.
Some File Naming Tricks for Your Online Home Based Business Web Pages
Conventional Wisdom states you should use Sub-Directories to organize your web Pages. Unfortunately the Page Indexing Tools Penalize your Page Rankings when you Do this, Many of the Page Ranking Algorithms in use today deem that pages closed to your Root are of a Higher Value then pages that are further away from your root.
Website Design Mishaps - How to Avoid Costly Errors That Can Crush Your Chances of Success
Designing your website can be a difficult task especially if you decide to do it on your own and you have no experience. There are many websites and web hosts that provide tools to allow you to build your website, but if you have no knowledge of what works and what does not work in web design, you could be setting yourself up for a big fall.
How Important is Content to a Successful Website
Content is the most important part of any website.The Internet was created in the first place as an information source.
Revising Your Site - What Happened To My Search Engine Placement?
As of September, Smartads went through what so many have done before. I changed the entire site.
Creating a Compelling Headline for Your Private Practice Website
Your home page is the most important page of your website. It is the one that will determine what your potential client or customer does after they arrive (i.
Top Ten Ways to Use Audio on Your Site
Audio can provide an added dimension to your site. It creates a warm atmosphere where visitors feel like they know you.
Choosing the Right Web Designer
Creating your web site can be a tricky process. Choosing the best web design company for your site is extremely important.
Eliciting Constructive Website Feedback
"It's good.""You've done a nice job.
How To Attract People To Your Web Site and Leave Their Contact
If you have a website, you want your visitors to stay longer on your website and get more sales. Here are 10 ways you can do to improve it.
Use Feng Shui Techniques To Design a Harmonic Website For Your Business
By following feng shui guidelines and techniques, you can build and design a business website that is not only visually attractive but also attractive to wealth and prosperity. The elements that are part of a business website are somehow equivalent to the objects distributed through a working space since the website is the electronic version of the actual business' offices.