Web Usability
Web usability is the need for designing and developing a website in such a way that users to the site can find what they are looking for quickly and efficiently. A usable website can reap huge benefits to your website and your business.
- A web usability redesign can increase the sales/conversion rate by 100% (source: Jakob Nielson)
- Every £1 invested in improving your website's usability returns £10 to £100 (source: IBM)
Given the years now that the internet has been active site users have gradually become familiar and used to particular layouts on the Internet, for example:
- Organisation logo is in the top-left corner and links back to the homepage
- The phrase "home" is used to reference the start or first page of the web site
- The phrase ‘About us’ is used for organisation information
- Navigation is in the same place on each page and next to the content, generally left or top.
- 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 thousands of other conventions like these that enhance your website's usability, within AV Digital we take a user centered focus when designing and developing web sites, with our web design techniques and Search Engine Optimisation strategies we will always make your web site usable and search engine friendly.
Do not underestimate the importance of these conventions - as the Internet matures we're getting more and more used to things being a certain way. If you choose to ignore these conventions you may be left with nothing but a website with poor usability and very few site visitors.
Usability studies have shown that 8.6 seconds is the maximum time web users will wait for a page to download. As of March 2004 just 25% of UK web users had broadband so it is 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
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 web pages. When we scan web pages certain items stand out:
- Headings
- Link text
- Bold text
- Bulleted lists
Do not prevent your users from surfing through the Internet in the way that pleases them. For example:
- When a link is opened in a new window the back button is disabled. Approximately 60% of Web users use the back button as their primary means of navigation.
- Don't use frames to lay out your website. Frames can cause a number of usability problems, namely:
- Search engine optimisation issues
- Disabling the back button (see above)
- Bookmarking not possible
- Users feel trapped if external links open in the same window
- Impossible to e-mail the link to someone else
- Problems with printing
Rest assured that we will ensure that your web site is usable, accessible and above all ready to help you make sales and reap in the profits.
