Web Usability News & Articles

Most of us will admit to playing armchair behavioral psychologists when it comes to understanding our users' online behaviors. But imagine if you really were an actual behavioral psychologist?

When we last spoke about usability testing, we introduced the what, why and how of website quality assessment. Though many appreciate the need for usability testing, some may be skeptical about paying for tools. There are a handful of free tools available that can help users better understand how website elements can be improved and how analytic tools can improve the process.

This week we took a look at some of the free tools available and what they offer.
 

Jakob Nielsen says that "websites are definitely easier to use now than they used to be." That's because in his recent survey of 24 websites, which analyzed users' task outcomes and compared it to data collected from the same sites five years earlier, results showed that web usability has improved.

You can bet that at this year’s Usability Week Conference, Jakob Nielsen and his Nielsen Group members will be discussing the results of his latest web habits report. The annual report, which summarizes the current state of using the Internet, indicated that users demand so much from the Web that they have grown impatient, ruthless and selfish.

For those of you who are forced to think on a regular basis about making websites appeal to users, Advanced Common Sense offers a temporary reprieve.

Your users and your brain will thank you.

Our very own Gerry McGovern will be conducting a masterclass called Creating Customer-Centric Websites.

If you want to catch it — and we’re definitely biased in that direction — mark your calendars for November 28-29, and prep for a visit to the auditorium at Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa.

Some time ago Forrester pointed out that the biggest obstacle to “realizing ROI with (Enterprise) web CMS projects” is the failure of users to adopt the product and integrate it into their daily work lives.

Does that sound surprising? Probably not.

Here’s the real surprise: we can guide users to more productive behavior. Gilbane Group promises to show us how.

But to get there, prepare to think long and hard about web usability; in particular, how it can bring users what they want.

Reporting live from Web Content 2007 here in Chicago, I attended (rock star and creative director of Duo Consulting) Yvonne Doll’s Designing Content for Usability session this morning. Yvonne stated her case clearly, reminding those on hand that all website projects succeed or fail for the same reason — communication.