Improve The Usability Of Your Web Design

Web Design Development Web Design Usability

Achieving Better Web Site Usability

Web Sites are intended to be seen and use by Internet surfers. Not many people realize the wideness of the range of the users of the Internet.

A web site’s usability is one of the key determinants of its success in fulfilling its main goal, whether it is made for information dissemination, business or communication. Usability is all about the relationship between a web site and its users. Web Sites should be seen as tools which will allow its users to do their tasks and help them achieve results.

The issue of usability is very pertinent and is treated with much attention today. There have been moves (including legal ones) that aim to push web development towards usability. There are many people who are affected with some kind of disability or impairment which hinders them from fully enjoying the different aspects of life including the use of the Internet. The Internet, with it’s continuous development towards the better, has been a great instrument in providing people, especially those with impairments to be able to have avenues for accessing information, communicating and transacting. This is why the issue of web site usability is a much talked about issue.

Usability is important because it can be the difference between accurately performing a task or not, between enjoying the whole process or being very frustrated. Usability is also important for the developers since it can be one of the key factors in determining the success of a system. It is also important for businesses which thrive in the Internet because a low level of usability will definitely drive the customers away. Most importantly, it is important for people who have impairments because they are the most vulnerable group in terms of accessing the different avenues that the Internet provide.

Components of Usability

A web site’s usability is one of the key determinants of a web site’s popularity. A recent survey revealed that the “ease of use” with regards to web sites makes 74% of web site visitors want to come back.

There are different components of usability. These are:

-Efficiency
This refers to how easily the users can perform their tasks after they have had a general feeling for the web site.

-Learning curve
Can the structure of the web site easily be learned by the users?

-Over-all perception
Is the web site pleasant to the eyes and can easily be accessed by people viewing it?

A web site that is usable will be able to deliver a lot of benefits not only to the viewers but also to the developers. Here are some of the most important benefits that can be achieved by improving the usability of a web site.

-user satisfaction
-productivity and success
-avoidance of long-term costs of development
-improved competitiveness of the web site

Now, we go to the ways on how to the basic concepts that should be kept in mind in developing web sites to achieve usability.

1) Give information about the web site

Many web site developers forget the importance of putting some information about the web site because they assume that people will be able to figure that themselves. Many people will be giving negative feedback if they do not get what they want (or what they think they want) from the web site. A portion of the homepage can be used to relay this information or a separate section “about the web site” can be added.

2) Provision of a web sitemap

Many people are not very familiar on navigating through the different layers of a web site and therefore they result to the web sitemap to be able to find what they are looking for. Web Sitemaps provide a skeleton image of the whole web site and cramp the pertinent sections into one single page.

3) Loading time

If people are to be asked to choose between a good-looking web site which takes too much time to load and a basic web site which loads quickly, most of the time, the second one will win. The use of large flash programs, graphics and the inappropriate placing of too much information should be avoided to improve the usability of a web site.

4) Quality content and readability

People visit web site to be able to gather information and they will leave immediately if the content are either: of poor quality or has poor readability. Make sure that the contents are written well and are structured to be easily read.

These are just some of the ways on how a developer can improve the usability of his web site. The development of web sites is pushing forward to usability and every single web site should take this in mind.

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