When you browse a website, intuitively or otherwise, you are judging the usability of the site. To paraphrase the ISO definition – usability is a measure of the satisfaction, efficiency and effectiveness with which a user completes specified goals when using the website. When viewing easy to use websites, there is a common trait, in that they were designed with their user audience in mind.

Contributory factors to usability

So what contributes to the usability of a website;

• Content that is well written and easy to understand.
  When reviewing the quality of the content, it is important to consider the content’s usefulness, which measures the relevance of the content to what the user wants to know. So, the goal is for content that is not only well written but also highly relevant.
• A website that is easy to navigate.
  Good navigation is obvious and intuitive to the user. A frustrated user ‘lost’ on your website won’t have a good impression of the site or your company.
• Content that is appropriately organised.
  This factor is related to the navigation of the site and also includes the grouping of information in the correct sections on the website. For example, if a customer is looking for a businesses opening hours then this information should be found in the Location details page in the ‘About Us’ section. A cluttered website like a cluttered desk just make life difficult!
  The inclusion of a sitemap is a big benefit to show how the website is organised and it helps with navigation.
• A capability for the user to search the website.
  In most websites, in the upper right hand corner, you will see a search book to assist a user find specific pieces of information.

Once you are aware of the various factors that influence usability, you can assess each one relative to the your own website. For me, this means that RB Consulting needs a search capability!