subject: Tackling The Usability Problem [print this page] The creative process of web designing is not without its unique problems. Most problems relate to the website's usability. This problem has the effect of confusing users. It may ultimately cause substantial revenue loss.
A web designer must steer of certain pitfalls while doing website design. Since it is a competitive business, and as a web designer is under pressure, mistakes tend to occur. Some of the most common usability problems are elaborated in the following text.
The most prominent usability problem is the difficulty users' encounter when they search for a given topic in a website. A visitor must not struggle to find what he or she is looking for. The topic should be searched and found easily and with the minimum of effort. This kind of usability problem manifests itself in not getting the number of enquiries you should be getting. Also, the recent redesigning of the website has resulted in plummeting sales and while visitors undertake plenty of searches, very few click on the results. This phenomenon occurs when users are forced to struggle to use your company's site. And, not surprisingly, this is the most common problem users of the internet encounter when searching through a website.
According to an expert web designer, the larger and more complex the site, the more difficult a site is to traverse if it suffers from this problem of usability. Most common contributors are a less than ideal structured navigation system, links that are worded poorly and site search engines that do not do their job in an effective manner. To counter this, you should provide lots of visual cues so that users find what they are searching for easily and painlessly. For example, a Sydney web design professional would counter this kind of usability problem by incorporating a site search engine that includes a description that is in addition to the page title of each link that is returned. An optional advanced search system should preferably be there. A site map and alphabetical index should hopefully be present. Popular content should be displayed prominently on or near the top of the home page. Also a customized "404-File not found" error page should be made which will help a user to find an alternative to the missing page.
Another usability problem that plagues website design is that the concept of the website remains unclear. The website design should include a logo, title, short site description and also the benefits of using the site. To do the process correctly, put yourself into the user's shoes and search within the site. Then examine yourself the site's usability. Act spontaneously and come up with a quick solution. You could also include your friends and family to help you on the job. Try to find a person who have empirical knowledge of the subject of the website and take his opinion of your website usability. Any problems in the site will then be apparent to you. Another usability problem is that users misunderstand what they read. This is particularly true for complex English nomenclatures. For example, the heading "Glossary" should be changed to "Dictionary"for greater user participation.
