Designing a website is not all about appearance, and this often comes as a shock to new clients who think color, design and personal preference are the most important pieces of the puzzle. It is often in that first design discussion that we find ourselves in the middle of a usability lesson, explaining to our client how people who visit their site are truly viewing it.
Your Users Care the Most
You have only seconds to capture the attention of your users, which means you only have seconds to lose them. If your site is a challenge for them, they aren't going to stick around and muck their way through it. Usability is all about making your site simple, clear and even fun to use. Poor usability is the #1 reason you will lose eyeballs.
How Usable is Your Site?
To determine if your site is usable, you need to do some research. You can do some preliminary analysis of your site by reviewing some of the following usability checklists:
- Would Your Site Pass a Usability Assessment?
- 25-Point Website Usability Checklist
- 15 Essential Checks Before Launching Your Site
Users know best
To do some truly effective research, ask some of your current users if they would provide some input. We highly recommend that you collect a half dozen or so clients and ask them to answer some of the questions from the usability assessments presented above. This will give you a real picture of how those outside your organization see your site.
Don't just listen, fix it
If your users come back with critique, listen closely. Then do something about it. Don't just say thank you and continue to let your site stand as it is. Consult with a web designer or usability expert, then make the appropriate changes to bring your site in line with effective usability. Not only will this help with new customers, but it will let your current customers know that you take your comments to heart.
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