Weave a complex web and your profits could unravel
26th March 2001
User Vision identifies the main usability issues that hinder users experiences online.
Ambitious predictions of an e-commerce revolution have been dampened by the reality that many people are not using the web to its full potential, despite its advantages and cost savings.
Many factors have been blamed for e-commerce inertia, including security, fulfilment, call charges and fanciful business models. However, an often-overlooked factor to e-commerce survival is simply the ease of web site use.
All too frequently, web users encounter slow loading pages, unclear instructions, inconsistent navigation, and animation that distracts rather than helps achieve a goal. These experiences prevent many web users from finding what they seek or completing their online transaction.
Research by US consultancy Creative Good shows that over 40% of attempted online purchases or applications end in failure. This represents an estimated £10 billion in annual lost e-commerce sales worldwide.
One new company that made efforts to improve customer experience and online conversions is Edinburgh’s Intelligent Finance. The bank’s web design team reviewed and tested usability during the bank’s web site development, conducting over 80 individual tests with paid subjects performing tasks such as applying online and using mock accounts.
Testing even a few people can reveal that they use your site very differently than you planned. The result will be a more intuitive web design in which users can find what they seek – and give you a better return on your investment.
Testing conditions: Intelligent response
The Chief Executive of Intelligent Finance, Jim Spowart said: “This investment in testing the usability of our site has been extremely worthwhile. We are currently experiencing around 54% of our business through the internet which is a far greater usage rate that we had originally anticipated. Our pre-launch predictions were that two thirds of the bank’s business would come via the telephone channel.”
What Can you do next?
- Read some more usability and accessibility articles.
- Find out how usability testing can improve your online offering.
- Attend one of our usability training courses and learn the tricks of the trade for yourself.
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This article was written by Chris Rourke. Chris is the Managing Director of User Vision, a usability and accessibility consultancy that helps clients gain a competitive advantage through improved ease of use.
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