Web usability, is defined by the experience of the user via
various factors: navigation aid, structure, design or even the ergonomics of an
interface. The usability of a website is an important quality criterion that
indicates how easy or not it is to use a program or website. To do this, design
and visuals are important from both a technical and practical point of view.
Optimizing the user experience on a website is one of the main disciplines of
online marketing as it is one of the criteria for search engine ranking. If you
want to provide complete satisfaction to your visitors, gain their trust and
entice them to order any of your products or services, you need to develop the website from a web design
company in Pakistan.
The usability of a website describes the ease with which
users can navigate and navigate within a website. Quality includes how the site
is geared towards a smooth and enjoyable browsing experience, but also how all
of the site's functions perform smoothly. Usability should not be confused with
user experience on a website. While usability is mainly about technical
implementation, the user experience is more about how they perceive the
atmosphere of the website.
First check: usability test
The usability test also called user test or usability test shows whether users are making detours in their navigation, or if they run into
problems. This information is very useful in determining the degree of
usability of a website. A simple possibility to measure it is the questionnaire
called System Usability Scale. Users receive a questionnaire containing ten
questions, each of these questions containing a choice of answers graduated
from one to five. This quantitative analysis method is a quick and dirty test
of user-friendliness, an Anglicism literally translating to “quick and dirty”,
in other words, “quickly done badly”. Indeed, this test only delivers a trend of
general satisfaction, and no detailed indication of weaknesses or real
optimization needs.
In order to obtain truly convincing results, we must therefore
perform more detailed tests. There are several methods for this: user
observation, live tests, eye-tracking (eye behavior test), eristic evaluation , and many more. These tests make it possible to make valuable and revealing
discoveries about user behavior, and then make it possible to define measures
for improvement.
Usability of a website: the most important factors
The standards for good web usability are independent of
individual tastes and preferences. It doesn't matter if it's a simple business
site or an online store: the competition is just one click away on the
Internet. If users are not satisfied, they will click on another page within
seconds.
For this reason, every website administrator must design
their offer in an attractive way and adapted to their target group. Above all,
this means that the information sought must be made available to the user as
quickly as possible, and in a simple manner. Accessibility of information is as
important as a technically perfect representation with all possible conditions
of use. The technical, navigation, and visual aspects are closely linked. Here's
a look at the focal points of web usability:
Clarity
The first step in achieving good web usability is to focus
on the clarity and quick attribution of the content, themes and offerings of a
web page. If a user visits your webpage, they immediately want to know what it
is about.
Also, for complex web pages, it is the administrator's duty
to explain in a comprehensive manner what awaits the visitor. This is
especially important on home pages as they serve as a benchmark for most users.
Orientation and structure
Easy navigation and a consistent website identity are
equally critical. A well-structured web page begins with navigation that is
constructed with meaning. It is therefore worth asking whether all the buttons,
symbols, and navigation elements used are clear and comprehensive in themselves.
Visitors should always be able to anticipate what to expect if they click on a
navigation element. The number of parts of the menu should be carefully thought
out and the main navigation bar should be as clear as possible. For all sub-parts, a menu should also be short and concise.
It is advantageous to work with classic navigation symbols
that users recognize automatically (such as the shopping cart or the magnifying
glass for the search function). The most important orientation elements are the
logo with a link to the home page, a search box, and a menu bar. Site signage
(logo) has a high recognition value and is therefore a key element.
Constancy
Consistency is also a usability factor for a website. Here
it is both visual presentation and content. Pay attention to the uniformity of
the formats of the logo, buttons, and other graphic elements. By choosing a
similar size, color palette, and font directly, you get consistency. The same
applies to the terms and formulations chosen on the same website. Many
companies publish their own style and content guides, aiming to standardize
design and writing style.
Attractiveness
Even if one doesn't think of the visual aspect in the first
place for the usability of a website, the design is nevertheless a relevant
factor. As a website administrator, this should be taken as a basic rule.
Creating a visual hierarchy is always an advantage. All graphics, images, and
titles should therefore be harmonized so that the links and relationships of
the different parties are directly understood. This results in, for example,
important elements that are larger than others that are less important.
A clickable link must always be recognized as such. An
underlined word in a text is indeed often perceived as a link. The same goes
for colors, images, and graphics: the sobriety and order are mostly time-unlike
gadgets and other entertainment. A consistent and pleasant color organization
keeps the visitor on your page. The dazzling colors, the shiny elements, and
other advertising hype and solicitations will on the contrary discourage him.
Web friendliness: criteria for good usability
In addition to these important factors, there are also
certain criteria, mainly technical, which should not be ignored under any
circumstances. The main concern is that users can use your websites however you
want. This means, for example, that your texts must be readable . Therefore, it
is advisable to choose a good contrast between the text and the background. It
is indeed essential to think about the relationship between the color of the
text and the background, especially when the images behind the text are dynamic
and change regularly.
On the other hand, the size of the text should not be
neglected either. Keep in mind that visitors are in different situations and
use different devices: some sit at desks looking at a big screen, others lie on
the sofa with a tablet, still others consult their smartphone in transport.
Additionally, make sure that users can actually see the content. Too many
styling effects can indeed cause unwanted distractions, and often lead to
display errors or excessively long load times.
The speed is indeed an important aspect of the usability of
a website. Users for whom content is not showing up quickly enough will avoid
the website in the future, or at least not associate it with positive
sentiment. This is exactly the meaning of web usability: a satisfying
experience on the website.
Usability: list of criteria
There are many factors that are important when creating a
website. Even if one strives to choose the right design and organize the
content consistently, the question of website usability can quickly become
diluted in the rest of the things to consider. Here is a list of the ten most
important points to check, so that you do not lose sight of your whole project:
·
Do users quickly understand what to expect on
your website?
·
Is the navigation understandable even for
inexperienced users?
·
Are all elements chosen consistently?
·
Are all the texts readable ?
·
Does your site display correctly on other types
of devices ?
·
Are users distracted by the effects ?
·
Can you find important information at a glance?
·
Is the charging time correct?
·
Is your website accessible ?
·
Is the content clearly structured ?
Bottom Line: Website Usability Improves Your Revenue
Too often businesses overlook the theme of website
usability. How user-friendly and ergonomic is your company's site? The answer
is seldom a snap. What is certain is that the visitor perceives the lack of
user-friendliness of a site. Webmasters of such websites experience short visit
times, a high bounce rate as well as a low conversion rate. All these online
marketing performance indicators demonstrate a real need for optimization.
User-friendliness tests then make it possible to determine exactly where the
problems come from and the reasons for the dissatisfaction of the visitors. If
you keep these factors in mind and take them into account, you will be able to
optimize your website in a targeted manner and consequently increase the
satisfaction of your visitors and customers.
Good web user-friendliness therefore makes it possible to:
·
facilitate the visit and use of an Internet
page;
·
promote the success of the website;
·
drive more conversions for the business.
Comments
Post a Comment