Making Your Website Just Perfect..

By Author: Ben Bishop
Total Articles: 3
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A Web Usability Test is basically a quality check. Just as any manufactured product needs to and should go through various quality testing activities before being dispatched, a website should also go through the usability testing procedure before it can be placed live on the internet. Website testing is an inevitable aspect of website development. It confirms the utility of the website performance wise and preference wise, prior to the site’s launch for public viewing and use. Usability for websites can be gauged by a number of tools readily available in the market. Few or all of these tools can be put to use by the developer as per the need of the website.

Visitors can be encouraged to use the site more often by making minute but significant changes in the interface of the site, such as using a secure payment gateway, eliminating irrelevant pop-ups, creating a site map for easy navigation etc. The website should be constantly updated with new and advanced tools in order to make the browsing ...
... experience efficient and user-friendly. Options such as web searching and easy printing of the content should be given so that users need not waste their time in these activities and enjoy the convenience that has been provided to them.

By and large, website usability tests are performed in the testing labs assigned for them, in the presence of a facilitator. This is more of a one-on-one interaction between the user and the observer to gain an insight into how efficient a user finds the website to be. Two way mirrors, audio notes, and eye-tracking systems are the common tools of conducting such lab-based testing procedures. This type of testing enables detailed questioning on the user’s experience, but generally gives way to very little prejudice since it is conducted in a simulated set-up.

Testing can also be conducted online remotely. It is largely quantitative in nature and can be used to monitor a larger sample size. It is very helpful in drawing analyses based on statistical data. It can prove to be significantly reliable since the user is interacting with the website in his personal space. This helps him to give feedback that is free from any bias or influence of others.

Usually, website usability is checked at the very initial stages of development. This helps in avoiding additional costs and redundant wastes of time. Theoretically, the testing should constantly go on throughout the process of development. This helps the designers and developers to constantly evaluate the web pages while the testing team can review the changes for more efficient designs and user interfaces.

A good website that is liked by the users, visited and revisited time and again is often the result of very keen and intense usability testing procedure, constant evaluation and review. This is very essential for a business to grow and foster, especially in today’s time where the competition is intense, and a large part of deals and trading happens online.

With smart phones having made a large impact on the market, mobile usability testing is also becoming a vital part of the whole facet of testing.

A lot of companies provide testing services at a professional level. A simple online search can help you find such companies who will be happy to help you for very reasonable rates.

About The Author:

The article has been written by Ben Bishop, the Marketing Manager at Usability Sciences. Usability Sciences offer various Usability Testing services like – Website Usability Testing, Mobile Usability Testing, Website Design Testing, Remote Usability Testing, and Rapid Iterative Testing. They also offer Eye tracking Web Usability, Card Sorting and Intercept Survey services to improve your web experience. Besides these they also take keen interest in various online research and competitive usability research study and analysis.