Related essay: Web usability
Web usability makes it easier for one to use the website. The major goals of usability are:
- How one presents information and choices in a clear and concise way
- Lack of uncertainty and the placement of important items in the correct areas.
- Web usability makes it easier and appropriate for all ages and genders who use the website.(Anon 2014)
Internet has provided opportunities in accessing international marketplaces that in the past were virtually unreachable and untenable by many organizations and institutions at large.
The web usability has influenced greatly how websites look like in the following ways:
(Anon n.d.)
Accessibility:
This section contains traditional accessibility issues and anything that might have kept a visitor from being able to access the information on a website. If no one can load your site, or the type is too small to read, all of the usability in the world won’t matter. Therefore you need to make it both easier and manageable for the user to work both effectively and efficiently.(Anon n.d.)
Identity:
The main question when someone first visits your site is “Who are you?” It’s important to answer it quickly, and make a good first impression to the person who is visiting this site. Again you have to make it clear for the person using your site how good your site really is. You can also make it clear by the use of company logos are strategically placed, tag lines that make the companies’ mission and vision clear, give a clear path to company information and contact information too.
Navigation:
The instance people basically know who you are and what you do; they therefore will require clear paths to the content or information that interests them. How information is placed in a site will help the user easily maneuver through the given information for them to get what it is that they actually require, links are consistent and easy to find, the company logo is linked to the home-page, the main navigation is easy to identify and the number of links and buttons on the site are reasonable. (Anon n.d.)
Content:
As has been said time and time again; ‘Content is king’. If you do not want your site to fall, content needs to be consistent, organized, and easy to go through without any hiccups or missups too.
Again major headings in your site should be clear and descriptive, styles and colors should be consistent as well, emphasis is used sparingly, URLs are meaningful and user friendly as well.(Anon n.d.)
References:
Anon 25-point Website Usability Checklist. Available from: http://www.usereffect.com/topic/25-point-website-usability-checklist [Accessed February 25, 2014a].
Anon Usability in web development. Available from: http://www.uservision.co.uk/resources/articles/2001/usability-web-development/ [Accessed February 25, 2014b].
Anon Web Development | Web Usability. Available from: http://www.tkg.com/web-usability [Accessed February 25, 2014c].
Anon 2014. Web Usability. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [online]. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Web_usability&oldid=581648558 [Accessed February 25, 2014].