Website usability - it's only a matter of seconds.

You have literally seconds as people decide whether or not to use your website. If your website is difficult to understand or navigate, you'll lose them in seconds. So many people think that getting a high ranking on major search engines will bring in more sales and customers automatically. That's not always the case. That's why it's important to look at the whole picture when it comes to how your site functions and how people want to interact with it. It's a good idea to look at website usability factors. 

Can I find what I'm looking for within 2-3 clicks?

• People come to you because they believe they will find what they are looking for. There is a high source of frustration when they can't find what they want. And believe it or not, people will patiently search high and low on your site if they think that somewhere on your website is the answer. Make it easy for them and don't get too fancy on your interface if it confuses them.

Is the interface simple enough or does it have too many links, ads or choices which can confuse the average searcher? 

• We've seen so many sites where website usability is poor even when the site looks like a beautiful magazine and has a cool interface. Let's get one thing straight, people don't care as much of how the front end looks as you think. Remember, people want to find what they're looking for fast. If the website has a good look and delivers the information they need quickly then that's great. Believe it or not, it's better to have a lower tech looking website where people find what they want than a super high tech site which confuses the searcher. There are websites out there that do very well and aren't much to look at but they have high website usability.

Is the site focused on one basic theme or is it trying to be all things to all men? 

• A focused theme with the right kind of people finding it make for higher sales online. It's like making a perfect match. Most people are looking for something specific when they go online and that's why some shopping portals that offer everything under the sun do so poorly relatively speaking. It's still that old mass marketing idea, but keep in mind we're in the information age which gives us a more personalized experience. We have choices. Make sure your website usability takes this into account. For instance, I buy printer cartridges online and I buy them from small companies that specialize only in that product. Why? Usually they are less expensive and they have all the choices right there. I found that if I went to an office supply store that carries every office product ever made, I find that I can't find the cartridges I need and can't get to it quickly. If I do find it online, the price is usually higher than the small vendor who usually has a much lower overhead. Make sure your website usability factors start with a basic theme or story.

Can you buy from the product or service from it easily?

• I don't care what the shopping cart looks like and of course some look better than others, but make sure it's easy to buy from. Don't give them road blocks to buying online. I knew one site where they always required a login and you had to create a profile instead of just checking out with a credit card. These days people don't always want to give you all their information or about how they found you or fill out some survey you've got. I personally believe that anytime you give someone the reason to think, "I wonder why they want to know that?", then you've crossed the line. Do you remember buying things at Radio Shack years ago? Even if you bought a 50 cent part for cash, they wanted all your personal information. Why? So you could get on their mailing list. So don't give people a reason to question your motives online. They want buy your product or service without hassles. Let them.

If you need an objective view of website usability for your online presence, then you'll want to purchase our website analysis package.