Web Usability

In this chapter you'll discover how to create a more user-friendly experience for your visitors by improving your Web site's usability.

1.	Chapter One Introduction
2.	What is Web Usability?
3.	Common Usability Problems
3.1.	User Has Difficulty in Finding What They Are Looking For
3.2.	The Concept is Unclear
3.3.	User Misunderstands What They See
3.4.	Page Has Too Much Noise
4.	The Importance of Web Site Usability Testing
4.1.	Improve Your Visitor Retention Rate
4.2.	Discover Which Parts of Your Web Site Are Failing and Why
4.3.	Improve the Brand Experience of Your Customers
4.4.	Improve Your Understanding of Your Customers
4.5.	Increase Sales and Profits
5.	Bottom-Line Benefits of Usability Testing
6.	Real Usability Success Stories
6.1.	UPS.com
6.2.	Staples.com
7.	Usability Heuristic Evaluation
7.1.	Aesthetic and Minimalist Design
7.2.	Consistency and Standards
7.3.	Error Prevention and Recovery
7.4.	Flexibility and Efficiency of Use
7.5.	Help and Documentation
7.6.	Inverted-Pyramid Style of Writing
7.7.	Match the Web Site to the Real World
7.8.	Minimize Download and Response Times
7.9.	Protect Users' Work
7.10.	Readability
7.11.	Real World Conventions
7.12.	Recognition Rather Than Recall
7.13.	Scannable Text
7.14.	User Control and Freedom
7.15.	Visibility of Web site Status
8.	Usability Toolkit
8.1.	Affinity Diagrams
8.2.	Alternative Browsers
8.3.	Ask Questions
8.4.	Blind Voting
8.5.	Card Sorting
8.6.	Cognitive Walkthroughs
8.7.	Consistency Inspections
8.8.	Field Study
8.9.	Focus Groups and Interviews
8.10.	Heuristic Evaluation
8.11.	Industry Standards Inspections
8.12.	Journaled Sessions
8.13.	Market Research Data
8.14.	Opinion Polls
8.15.	Performance Measurement
8.16.	Pluralistic Walkthroughs
8.17.	Proofreader
8.18.	Prototyping
8.19.	Public Kiosk
8.20.	Questionnaires
8.21.	Server Log File Analysis
8.22.	Surveys
8.23.	Thinking Aloud
8.24.	Variable Internet Connection Speeds
9.	Usability Testing Environment
9.1.	Computer Operating Platform
9.2.	Computer Processor Speed
9.3.	Internet Connection Speed
9.4.	Web Browser
10.	How to Conduct Your Own Usability Tests
10.1.	Try the Test Yourself
10.2.	Ask the User a List of Prepared Questions
10.3.	Ask the User to Complete the List of Prepared Tasks
10.4.	Encourage the User to Think Aloud
10.5.	Listen Carefully to What They Have to Say
10.6.	Measure the Success Rate of User Tasks
10.7.	Don't Hurt Your User's Feelings
10.8.	Test Report
10.9.	Analyze the Results
11.	One Web Site Fits All
12.	Web Site Usability Testing on a Budget
12.1.	Number of Users
12.2.	Types of Users
12.3.	Test Location
12.4.	Test Supervisor
12.5.	Observers
12.6.	Test Schedule
12.7.	Test Preparation
12.8.	Costs
13.	Chapter One Summary

Other Chapters: Web Site Design - Web Accessibility

Web Usability

Table of Contents