Web usability

Web usability

Web usability is the application of usability in those domains where web browsing can be considered as a general paradigm (or "metaphor") for constructing a GUI.

General

Web usability is an approach to make web sites easy to use for an end-user, without requiring her (or him) to undergo any specialized training. The user should be able to intuitively relate the actions he needs to perform on the web page, with other interactions he sees in the general domain of life e.g. press of a button leads to some action. The broad goal of usability can be:

1) Present the information to the user in a clear and concise way.

2) To give the correct choices to the users, in a very obvious way.

3) To remove any ambiguity regarding the consequences of an action e.g. clicking on delete/remove/purchase.

4) Put the most important thing in the right place on a web page or a web application.

Methodology

As more results of usability research become available, this leads to the development of methodologies for enhancing web-usability.

eCommerce

In the context of eCommerce websites, the meaning of web-usability is narrowed down to efficiency: triggering sales and/or performing other transactions valuable to the business.

Web usability received renewed attention as many early eCommerce websites started failing in 2000. Whereas fancy graphical design had been regarded as indispensable for a successful e-business application during the emergence of internet in the 1990s, web-usability protagonists said quite the reverse was true. They advocated the KISS principle, which had proven to be effective in focusing end-user attention.

ee also

Multivariate testing - Statistical testing of user responses to web content

External links

See also external links for usability.

* [http://www.usability.gov/ Usability.gov] — usability basics with focus on web usability
* [http://www.w3.org/WAI/eval/Overview.html Evaluating Web Sites for Accessibility] — accessibility is a crucial subset of usability for people with disabilities. This [http://www.w3.org/WAI/ W3C/WAI] suite includes a section on involving users in testing for accessibility.
* [http://www.surl.org/usabilitynews/ Usability News] from the Software Usability Research Laboratory at Wichita State University
* [http://webdesign.about.com/od/usability/ About.com's Usability on the Web]
* [http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/ Usability Professionals' Association] — Organization for people practicing and promoting usability
* [http://jthom.best.vwh.net/usability/ A list of web usability methods]

Online books

* [http://www.webstyleguide.com/ The (Usable) Web Style Guide]
* [http://www.usabilityinstitute.com/resources/userInYourFace/userInYourFace.htm User In Your Face] — A free, online book about user interface design, written in installments


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