Web Usability Audits

Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use. The word "usability" also refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process. Source: Jakob Nielsen

Some things have worked on the web while some things haven't and have fallen by the wayside and, large popular sites like www.amazon.co.uk, www.bbc.co.uk and www.cnn.com have to a certain extent defined website usability.

Learn more about Web Usability.

Benefits of a Web Usability Audit

Some basic Web Usability Auditing can reveal why Websites are performing badly. Recently we analysed an e-commerce site which required 26 clicks before a sale could be made. That's the kind of thing we find - often the things that you see so often you don't see them anymore.

Having a highly usable website has the following advantages:

1. It shows attention to detail.
2. It makes users happier and more willing to buy!
3. It converts a higher percentage of visitors to customers and repeat users.
4. Search Engine Optimisation, a more usable website is also more search engine friendly and accessible to search engine spiders

 What we test for:

• Are your pages functionally correct? Do they do what they are supposed to do?
• Are your pages efficient to use? What about time required? Are all 30 form fields really necessary for the transaction? Do you really need to know the person's title? Is county necessary when postcode is a compulsory field?
• Are your pages easy to learn? Are they intuitive? Are they similar to other sites in the way it functions or is it simply just logical?
• Are your pages easy to remember? Do your users have to remember where they are? Is memory load minimised,
• Are your pages consistent? Does the same command always have the same effect? The same information should be presented in the same location on each page with the same formatting - are you overloading the users brain and making them learn how to use your site?
• Are your page errors tolerant? Are there spelling mistakes? Is there a 'did you mean' fallback for your search? How is error feedback laid out? e.g. 'You made a mistake somewhere click back on your browser button and spend half an hour looking for missing field and fill in a load of stuff again as punishment for making the mistake'!
• Are you allowing your users control of the process? i.e. not doing anything unrequested e.g. opening new windows, playing music, changing scrollbars, removing toolbars.

How we test:

There are two methods - the Expert Audit and User Testing.

A Web Usability Expert Audit uses a seasoned web usability expert to highlight any errors that break common principles of usability and generally make life difficult for users. This is a very systematic way of highlighting issues.

Web Usability User testing involves assigning a number of tasks to a set of users and videoing what they do. This often throws up the unexpected and brings a more human element into the testing process.

The results of the usability testing are wrapped up in a detailed report which not only highlights issues but also provides recommendations which some other testing companies shy away from doing.

We can, and do, build testing packages around your needs, so please feel free to contact us by filling in the form below. Alternatively, call us on 0151 223 0001 for a free no obligation chat.