Boosting Website Performance With Usability Testing For Websites

Usability tests are extremely helpful in identifying problems related to website design and functionality. Usability tests predominantly help to uncover navigation issues, highlight overall design effectiveness, determine content relevance, and assess customers’ ability to fulfill critical tasks. Apart from these, usability testing provides relevant feedback about overall customer experience with the website. A few of the questions that could be answered with the help of usability testing include:

a. Are any sections of the website confusing and difficult to navigate?

b. What are the steps taken by customers for completing a transaction?

c. What are the major blocks when looking for specific information?

d. How easily can the customers use your website?

Since these tests help to identify issues related to Web site design and performance, they can be taken up anytime in the website Lifecycle. However, it is wise to undertake them early on in the design process so that you can understand major flaws, and change them accordingly.

In general, feedback is divided into two main categories. They reveal quantitative usability metrics, such as the number of clicks and the amount of time taken to complete a given task. Other tasks can help you with more qualitative data, such as a visitor’s perceived ease-of-use for a particular Web page.

The result from usability tests should be used to improve your website functionality and design, and can provide useful information into how customers find and access information. Ease of access to information is a crucial aspect of customer service and improvements in this field will help in improving the overall customer experience.

Usability Expert Shares Guidelines For Website Usability

Website usability is one of the cheapest methods to improve the look of a website and thus strengthen any business. When the website is easy to use, the number of visitors increases and thus helps the website to achieve its goal. Experts share a checklist to check and improve website usability as a site’s success is determined by how it guides the users.

• The website should load within 3 seconds: It is increasingly frustrating for the users if the website takes more than 3 seconds to load. Experts give 2 ways to increase the speed of website namely faster servers and optimized websites that load faster. 
• Images on sites aren’t always compressed; experts suggest compressing images. This means less loading time.
• Do not use extraneous features and add-ons. Users often visit a website for a specific purpose, and if the features are confusing, it might increase the loading time.
• The users are most likely to know the purpose of the website in the first 5 seconds. If users do not figure out what to do, they will most likely leave. So the primary action on a website should be as clear as possible.
• The website logo should be visible and should lead to the home page. Upper left corner is where the logo should be placed.
• The about us, contact us and Home links should be visible and easy to find. The above guidelines improve the understanding of web usability and thus improve and benefit a website.

What Is Eye tracking Web Usability?

Eye tracking is a process of measuring the point of gaze, or the motion of the eye. Since its inception, this method has been used by scientists to study neurology and by marketers to study the effectiveness of package designs.  Now web designers use eye tracking to study the effectiveness of web pages as this method is effective in understanding and assessing the usability and reach of a web page.

Usability practitioners are now using eye tracking as a tool to understand how people “see” websites and make important and informed decisions. Well planned usability testing and well executed eye tracking studies can provide information about user impressions that the researcher generally cannot observe. An individual collects information about the world around them through various ways, vision, however, is the most important. The most powerful light receptors are in the central region of the eye known as the Fovea. Eye tracking provides an account of where the participants are looking at the screen as they complete a task. If used properly, it can provide important and unique data that can be then evaluated in interesting ways and mined for innovation and ideas.

If used correctly, this method is capable of rendering results that help companies change the way their websites look, and thus expect increases in the number of visitors.

All you need To Know about Card Sorting

Card sorting refers to a process whereby the structure of a given website is designed to give due consideration to the expectations of the users from it. The main motive behind undertaking this activity is to increase the rate of task completion, thereby boosting the overall conversion rate. This also augments the ease of finding a website through search engine browsing. The process of card sorting is extensive and involves the following steps:

1.    A person, who can well represent, a set of the target audience is provided with a set of cards with terms written on each one of them.

2.    The person is then required to put each term under certain local groups and give a name to every group.

3.    This process is then repeated with various test subjects.

4.    The results of the whole process are then analyzed extensively to obtain inferences.

In today’s times, where the customer is regarded as the king, sorting of cards is one measure that can help you gain a competitive edge over your rivals in the market by getting a deep insight into the minds of consumers, and knowing their take on the organization of the information on your website.

The Innate Benefits of User Experience Research

Not only on branding and marketing front, but also in the context of websites, user experience research and survey has grown to become an aspect of utmost importance. Getting the website tested for user experience and modifying it in an apt way based on the inferences drawn is more than just important, for the following reasons:-

•    It helps in shaping the strategy as well the overall vision with respect to the purpose for which the website is to be launched.

•    The user experience research not only helps in understanding the user’s approach towards the website, but also helps in gaining an insight of the minds of the target audience, as well as their needs and preferences.

•    Appropriate research at the right stages, helps in avoiding overtly expensive adjustments post the launch of the site, thus aiding to keep the budget in check.

•    Conducting of experience research tests prior to launch of the website helps in the prevention of a bad user experience which can prove to be damaging to the reputation if the brand.
Now that you know how can efficient user experience testing benefit your marketing efforts in the short term, and be profitable to your business in the long run, all you need to do is to hire the services of a proficient company which specialises in this field of usability testing.

How Can A Usability Professional Be Beneficial For Business?

Every product needs to be tested before it can be launched in the marketplace. The same product needs to be tested time and again with respect to its utility for the users and to gain an understanding of the experience that the user has while using the product. This exercise of testing is an inherent need that exists for almost all products and services in the physical world as well as in the online arena.

With respect to the online field, it is the websites that require testing for usability at regular time intervals. This activity is usually conducted by skilled usability professionals, who undertake the job of assessing the effectiveness of the user interface proffered by the website. The specialists chalk out a plan and based on that conduct elaborate user experience tests. Drawing inferences from the test results they present a detailed analysis of the usability test to the client.

Considering this analysis, businesses may take the requisite actions to improve their websites thereby increasing the possibility of earning better profits. So, if you want your website to get more business for you, it’s time that you get in touch with a proficient service provider in the field of usability testing, at the earliest possible!

5 Quick Ways to Improve Your Website’s Usability

Website usability testing is one activity that is imperative for any given website, either on the prototype or once the website is launched. Below mentioned are 5 simple ways to improve the usability of your website.

1.    Readability

You can improve the readability of your website, by using an appropriate font size and type, ensuring proper paragraph formatting, using bullets when needed, and making the content look easy to browse.

2.    Background Colour and Contrast

The site usability testing team should give due attention to the fact that the background colour is in sync with the theme of the site and is soothing to the eyes of the visitor. The contrast should be such that users can easily differentiate between the font and the background.

3.    Images and Their Placement

The images used on the site should be high resolution. These should be relevant to the content of the site, and must be placed in a way that they do not hinder the reader’s view, rather augment the readability.

4.    Site-Navigation

The layout of the site should be simple, and users should navigate through the site conveniently, even through mobile devices. A sitemap can also be provided to assist users.

5.    Hassle-Free Use

The website design should be such that it enables the user to accomplish his task with a few clicks. Hyperlinks should be appropriately formatted so that they can be spotted easily.

So, why waste time? Get your website tested today, incorporate the above mentioned ways to improve the usability and see how it works wonders for you and your business.