Retail site usability scores 3.1 out of 50 in a recent Forrester review
Usability remains a design issue across more than 300 web sites including a number of retail sites recently reviewed by Forrester Research Inc. On a point system based on the effectiveness of various usability features such as display of site content and site search usefulness, the retail sites averaged a higher score across the board than any other industry surveyed. Yet the score was still only 3.1 out of a possible top score of 50. Forrester characterized the average score of -.15 as “pitiful” and reported that the highest-scoring site earned 26 of the 50 points.
A site’s value can be judged only by looking at how well it helps users get things done, according to Forrester. But if the findings identify usability as a critical problem, the research firm also provides an answer: it says scenario design is the secret to site success.
Scenario design methodology builds a site around three questions, according to Forrester: Who are the site’s users? What are their goals? And how can users achieve their goals? A company must know its site’s audience well, as that reflects the customer needs and wishes that should be incorporated into site design. Designing for scenarios helps site operators avoid major design flaws, according to Forrester. For example, by designing sites for user’s needs, site operators will avoid the common mistake of sacrificing usability for aesthetics, and by starting scenario design with the home page, sites can give visitors a clear path to their objectives.
Back...
