subject: Usability is the key factor of successful web design [print this page] Usability is the key factor of successful web design
Most of web designers are creative enough to deign very attractive website designs, but all are not very successful websites, because of poor usability. Some people called it User centric web designs. High usability tested websites drive visitors to click on website features and move one page to another in a meaning full manner, Less number of visitors abandon the site without getting desired call to action. In practically we have noted all websites are not in equal success.
While you are designing website for a particular client or a project, give high attention on how do visitors think?, how users interact with websites?, and is there any basic/common users' behavior.
Many research revealed that online users' habit is almost similar to their offline activities on a shopping mall. They come to shopping mall with predetermined mind set and search what they want. On the way to needed items, if they see some interesting thing, don't bother to spend few minutes to check it and if it is really interesting, they will do impulse buying. If what they searched is not available, may be ask customer support representative or move to another shopping mall or waiting till new stocks come. Same behavior on online shopping as well. Most of visitors come to your website with pre intention to buy something or search something. There is some places get high attention and some areas on web page are less important. Majority of visitors do not look at some areas.
High quality content and credibility is matter in successful web design. At first glance, users don't read all the content. They scan the web page and content and evaluate whether this website or web page will satisfy their need. Some fixed points or anchors are highly important to get first impression positive and gain the visitors mind to stay and continue on website. Sometime poorly designed websites are really successful and earning good revenue online due to high quality content and building credibility among their targeted visitors. In other way, very well designed websites have failed to gain visitors attention and losing their online presence due to poor content.
Majority of online visitors are impatient. They take very quick decision whether to stay on a web page or abandon it. They insist on instant gratification. They scan the web pages in a linear fashion, going one site to another. Common fact that, simultaneously, three or four websites are comparing for one search criteria. Web designers should be well aware that where are the places on web page get high attention and less attention. Then most important content or feature should be organized in that place to get the instance attention from visitors. This will help to get most desired action immediately, without visitors knowing, they go through your website till the desired action taken. It is true, optimizing a website is not a simple and one - time activity, web designers in Melbourne has to do many testing and amendments to reach the desired level with high usability.
