This web usability course explains what web usability is and why it is vital for web sites. It will help you to avoid the worst mistakes and to find further sources of information. The course includes many examples of good and bad usability in web page design.
Written by Philip Chalmers who is based in the Medway area of Kent, England, United Kingdom.
Visitors will leave your web site if they find it difficult to use.
The time and money you put into the site will be wasted.
As WebWord.com points out, Usability Is Crucial for the Small Guy.
"The point of web site usability is to make Web sites perform the function for which they were designed, with the minimal amount of user frustration, time and effort." (Mark Pearrow's Web Site Usability Handbook)
Usability is not a single quality - it has five components:
| Ease of learning | How quickly can a first-time visitor learn to use the site? |
| Efficiency of use | How fast can an experienced visitor achieve his /her objectives? |
| Memorability | If a visitor has used the site before, can he / she remember enough to use it more effectively next time? |
| Error minimisation |
How often do users make errors while using the site?
How severe are the consequences? How easily can users get back on the right track? |
| Subjective satisfaction | How much does the user like using the site? |
(adapted from Jakob Nielsen's article What is "Usability"?, which unfortunately is no longer avaiaible on the Web)
The importance of these 5 factors varies depending on:
than in information or entertainment sites.
The golden rule is
"know your target users".
We suggest general rules in this tutorial, but your target users may be
exceptions.