What to consider to improve user experience and how usability testing works.
A design and marketing collaborator at a company creates a beautiful landing page that reflects what the company wants to communicate. The boss gives the go-ahead and the landing page is launched with the digital media campaign.
A month later, the boss opens the results report (timidly sent by the designer) and is surprised: the entire campaign was a waste. Users responded very well to the search engine ad, clicked on the landing page, scrolled through the text, but before leaving the data, they closed the tab.
“Why?” the boss asks. The employee can only say that he doesn’t know. Later, he takes a look at his landing page (which he hasn’t seen since the beginning of the campaign) and notices that the “send” button is tiny and on the left side of the screen, making it difficult to find.
That's why usability testing exists.
What is usability?
This concept is about the ease with which a user can interact with a site, web or interface; it affects the user experience and the simplicity with which a goal can be achieved in both hardware and software. The range of variables it croatia phone number includes goes from the shapes designed to the words used.
There are 10 principles that must be taken into account when talking about usability. These are:
System status visibility: Does the user know what is going on? This refers to, for example, when a page is loading because a form is being submitted.
Relationship between the system and the real world: Are the information and language expressed in a way that is logical and conventional? This refers mostly to the more technical explanations.
User control and freedom: Is it possible to navigate within the site? This refers, for example, to the button that says “Back” when a user wants to go back a step in a process to change information.
Standards and consistency: Can the content of the page be interpreted in only one way? This refers to ambiguities and uniqueness in both design and verbal language. A bad example would be a site that uses different menu button designs across pages.
Error prevention: How does the system work when an error occurs? This is a broad point, as it refers to both designer errors and user errors, from misuse of elements to messages due to system errors.
Recognition rather than recall: Do users know where to go, or do they have to think hard to proceed? This refers to conventional word and design patterns that help people find their way around and recognize what they need to do.
Flexibility and efficiency of use: Are different types of users taken into account? This refers to designs and structures that, for example, have interfaces that separate new users from experienced users, or even FAQs on how to use a page.
Minimalism: Is there anything superfluous in design and language? By removing unnecessary and unused information, the site will have just what is necessary to make the experience fluid and less tiring.
Helping users recognize, diagnose, and fix errors: When a user encounters an error, do they know what it is? Helping with clear prompts and messages can help keep people from leaving or giving up when faced with process failures.
Help and documentation: Does your site have a centralized space for answers that are directed toward action? This includes FAQ pages, for example.