Usability is a term characterizing the ease of working with the site and perceiving the information provided. It must be improved at every stage of the resource's existence - from the development of a prototype during design and creation of the site to the organization of the content that is posted.

A site with good usability will help you quickly get answers to the following questions:

  • what is this resource about?

  • How is information key?

  • where is what

  • how to use it?

The intuitiveness of searching for information and performing targeted actions significantly affects both the SEO promotion of the site in the search (position) and the conversion. Negative experiences and barriers that arise during operation (for example, forms with 20 points) will deprive 50% of users who are able to order a service or buy a product. The probability of returning 40% of the goals that users have achieved is minimized. Therefore, usability is critical for commercial sites.

The usability of the site can be evaluated using various criteria. The most common of them are:

  • Ease of use.
    This means that users should easily find the information they need on the site, as well as understand how to use various functions.

  • Page load time.
    Page loading speed is very important because users don't like to wait for a long time.

  • Availability of a mobile version of the site.
    Due to the growing use of mobile devices, it is important to have a mobile version of the site that will be optimized for the screens of smartphones and tablets.

  • Accessibility.
    The site must be accessible to all users, including those with physical disabilities (eg blind or partially sighted).

  • Availability of contact information.
    Users should be able to contact site owners if they have questions or suggestions.

Usability helps ensure the satisfaction and comfort of users when using the site. This in turn can help increase the number of visits and purchases on the site, as well as increase the level of user satisfaction with the brand or company behind the site.

Usability checklist

The usability checklist is a list of questions that should be resolved during the usability analysis of the site. Here are some items that can be included in such a checklist:

  1. Is it easy for users to find the information they need on the site?
  2. Is the site interface simple and intuitive?
  3. Does the site work quickly and efficiently on different devices and browsers?
  4. Are all features and elements of the site working as they should?
  5. Does the site design meet user and brand requirements?
  6. Does the content on the site meet the expectations and interests of users?
  7. Does the site have the ability to navigate and search for information?
  8. Does the search function on the site work properly and meet the needs of users?
  9. Is there a possibility of feedback from users on the site?
  10. Is the site protected from hacker attacks and hacking?

These are just a few examples of questions that can be included in a usability checklist. In addition, additional points can be added depending on the specific needs and requirements of the site.

Solution for the problem

It is important to constantly work on usability. It is necessary to be guided by the principles of ease of obtaining information when adding new pages and publishing content.

The process of improving the site affects many aspects. Let's consider the most important ones.

 

We speed up the work of the resource

A 4.3% reduction in conversion is typical for sites that load faster than 2 seconds. The user does not want to wait. This is especially true if you need to go through several pages.

This problem will be solved by reworking the code, compressing images, and caching. A lot of special effects on the page does not affect the conversion, so why make the site slower?

 

We optimize content

The F-pattern rule applies - the user views the page casually. The first few lines are read in full. After that, the content is viewed vertically. The user keeps to the left side.

For best results, important information should be grouped on the left side of the page. Long introductions should be avoided while providing basic information.

The reverse pyramid, which reflects the importance of the content, will help to implement the tasks:

  • upper block. The widest Key information and the ability to perform the target action (buy, order, call);
  • middle block Additional data that will help interested but undecided users to make a decision;
  • lower block The narrowest Related information. An opportunity to learn other content on a similar topic.

Conciseness is the key to conversion

Short, clear sentences, written using terms accessible to the target audience, ensure the convenience of perceiving and reading information. According to the results of research, in texts longer than 530 words, most users read only 28% of the information presented. Therefore, voluminous articles should be placed as a last resort, avoiding long introductions.

 

Thematic blocks

Break the text into thematic blocks, separating them with spaces and subheadings. Use short paragraphs. Highlight important words, links. This will help the user to find the data of interest to him at a cursory glance.

Remove neutral images that do not relate to the text. They will impair the perception of information, becoming a distracting factor.

 

Bread crumbs

When pages are deeply nested, the presence of breadcrumbs (chains of links that define the hierarchy of previous and current pages) will help the user better navigate and understand his location. This is especially true for online stores. But it is equally important both for search engines - for better indexing of site pages, and for users.

 

Forms

It is important to consider the number of fields in the forms. They should be enough for successful interaction with the site. At the first visit, you can request a login, password and e-mail. It is recommended to find out date of birth, credit card number and pet's name later by prompting the user to fill out a personal profile. Congested forms turn many people off.

There are many ways to achieve better usability. Each site is individual, so you should enlist the support of competent specialists.

Methods of researching user behavior on the site

Methods of User Behavior Research Description Advantages Disadvantages
User testing Researching user behavior on real websites or prototypes to obtain valuable feedback on usability and functionality Provides accurate results oriented toward real users Sometimes requires significant time and financial investment
Web analytics data analysis Analyzing website traffic and interaction with site elements using web analytics tools Provides information about real user behavior on the site Does not provide a complete picture of motivations and other psychological factors that influence user behavior
User surveys Collecting user opinions and feedback through surveys or interviews Provides feedback on user impressions of the site and their usage experience May have issues with the accuracy of feedback, as users may be subjective or insufficiently informed

One of the best assessment methods is usability audit . This method allows you to collect information about the product and identify problematic points in its interface, functionality and other aspects that may make it difficult for users to work with the product. Usability audit includes interface analysis, accessibility testing, web analytics data analysis and other evaluation methods. The results of the audit will help to improve the product, make it more user-oriented and increase user satisfaction from interacting with it.

The SEO Evolution company is engaged in conducting high-quality usability audits of websites. The result of our work is a detailed technical task, which contains the identified problems and recommendations for their solution. We carefully analyze the site's interface, perform accessibility testing, study detailed web analytics data, and conduct other evaluation methods. Our goal is to help you customize your website to be as user-friendly as possible and meet the needs of your audience. By contacting us, you can be sure that your site will be evaluated by highly qualified experts and you will receive recommendations that will help improve your website and make it more effective.