Common Concerns

Regardless of the web browser you use or the website you visit, 0:00 every person brings their own expectations about the way things should work 0:04 as they begin a new experience on a website. 0:08 This relates directly to usability. 0:11 If expectations don't match the reality of what's found, 0:13 the experience may be a difficult one. 0:17 Business owners can not afford to let users have bad experiences on their site. 0:19 Therefore, it's important to understand some of the common usability issues 0:24 that impact design and content, and how to meet the expectations of your users. 0:28 Some of the most basic usability issues generally involve problems 0:33 related to the readability or visibility of text and images. 0:38 They may include misspellings, broken images, and unreadable texts. 0:42 These problems are basic because they can usually be fixed very easily, 0:48 either by tweaking some code or adjusting your style sheet, for example. 0:52 Another common concern relates to the layout of web pages. 0:56 Usually, they include a header at the top, a clear navigation area, 1:00 a large central body, and a footer at the bottom. 1:04 This basic hierarchy has been used successfully by millions of websites. 1:07 So, it's something many users expect, and when it comes to web design 1:12 it's important not to confuse users with something too different. 1:17 That's not to say you can't deviate from the norm, but understand the risks involved 1:20 when trying something completely new, especially when your business is involved. 1:25 Regardless of the layout used, it must be logical, allowing users to see what's there, 1:29 providing a flow so they can find what they need, 1:36 and it must be consistent across all pages of your site. 1:39 Lastly, a common usability concern relates to content. 1:43 Content can relate to many things on a website, 1:48 but in this case, we must consider how content 1:51 allows users to be successful as they use the site. 1:53 So, do you use content to effectively identify what your site is about and who it's for? 1:56 If users can't figure out what site they're on when they get there, you're looking 2:03 at a problem that can plague the user experience from the very beginning. 2:08 Also, are your links named correctly? 2:12 Do users end up on a page that matches the link name? 2:15 Does the content on the page, such as the text, images, 2:19 and downloads match the name of the page? 2:22 Putting everything in its place helps reduce confusion, 2:25 leading to a smoother experience and a longer one as well. 2:28 Many problems can be found by going through the site yourself 2:32 and trying everything: clicking, downloading, filling out forms, 2:36 and, especially, reading what's on the site. 2:40 Depending on the size of your site, this may be too big an undertaking for one person 2:43 That's why occasional testing of your site 2:48 with outside users can help you catch things you may not have noticed. 2:50 In the end, by maintaining a consistent design and layout, 2:54 and the way your site elements are presented across all pages of the site, 2:58 you can avoid many basic usability problems. 3:02