| By James Nicholas
– 2003 New England Collegiate Entrepreneur Of The Year
If you have a website, make sure your visitors can
easily navigate your site. Be certain your site is logically
organized with obvious categories. Additionally, visitors
should be able to order from your website in the least
amount of clicks possible. The colors you use on your
website should help make your text easy to read. For
example, avoid using black text on a blue background
or a tiled image for the background. Furthermore, forty
percent of all men are color blind in some form. Therefore,
if you know of a person that is color blind, be sure
to have them look at your site to make sure they can
see everything as clearly as possible.
If you have high speed internet, look at your site from
a dial up connection as well. You will see how long
it takes to actually download and view your website.
Most people will not wait more than ten to fifteen seconds.
This is imperative because a majority of internet users
connect through a dial up internet connection.
In addition to following these basic principles, you
should perform a usability test. A usability test will
show you the major flaws in your website’s design. They
can be done in a special lab with video cameras and
other high tech equipment for thousands of dollars.
However, you can perform a simpler usability test to
find your major flaws for free, with the help of a couple
of friends.
Take five people. Give them different tasks to complete
related to your website. For example, have them try
to order a product/service, find your contact information,
find directions, etc. Make it clear to them that this
is a test on your design and not their computer ability.
Try to make them feel as comfortable as possible. Note
their clicks and if they completed the task correctly.
If multiple participants pause for a long amount of
time or cannot complete a particular task, chances are
you can improve your website’s design. For example,
you could try moving a button to a different location
or using different colors. After the test, ask the participant
for feedback and suggestions. Let them know their opinion
would assist you in making a better website and how
much you would appreciate their honesty. You could ask
if they like the look of the website and the colors
used. Or, if your site is easy to use and navigate?
After you make your changes, retest another five people
on the same tasks. See if your changes improved the
results. Usability tests are very easy to complete and
the knowledge you will gain will improve profits. If
you are not a believer, give one test and you will be
amazed at what you see. Before my first usability test
on my website www.je2000.com, I thought it was perfect.
I could not have been more wrong. I made many changes
to the layout to make the site easier to use. I even
changed the colors after having a color blind friend
look at it.
If you need any help or have any questions in performing
your usability test or want suggestions, please contact
us.
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