Website Usability
Usability is the measure of the quality of a user's experience when interacting with a product or system - whether a Web site, a software application, mobile technology, or any user-operated device.
It is easy during the website development cycle to make assumptions about how users will interact with a website, however often these assumptions do not reflect the reality.
What is obvious to a web developer with extensive technological skill and experience is not necessarily obvious to the vast majority of website users who may have very little experience and understanding.
Our design process includes a pre-launch practical usability study to test the ease of use of navigation, the user's ability to understand any directives and instructions and the ability to find information within the site.
Usability is a neglected aspect of most commercial websites. A site may look fantastic and professional, but if visitors have any trouble negotiating the various sections or difficulty in finding the information they require, they will simply leave your site - possibly never to return. You have spent time, money and resources to get the visitors to your site so it is important to make their experience a positive one.
A very good resource on practical usability in website design is Jakob Nielsen's useit.com.
Articles
Jimmyweb Articles
- Style versus style
- Web standards
- Usability
- Accessibility
- SEO versus manipulation
- Basics of optimization
- HTTP compression
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Enter the Jimmyweb website design portfolio and view a few examples of some of the effective websites we have created.
