{"id":5576,"date":"2013-04-11T02:10:05","date_gmt":"2013-04-11T07:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=5576"},"modified":"2013-04-11T02:10:05","modified_gmt":"2013-04-11T07:10:05","slug":"website-usability-testing-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/website-usability-testing-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Website Usability Testing 101"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"website<\/a><\/p>\n

Sure, your website may be beautiful, but is it doing its job when it comes to converting first time visitors into lifelong readers? \u00a0If you aren\u2019t sure whether or not your website is performing as well as it could, measure it against all of the following usability metrics:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Step #1 Accessibility<\/h3>\n

As you might expect, a great place to start your website usability testing is to determine whether or not visitors are able to access your site in the first place! \u00a0Ask yourself the following questions to minimize any such issues:<\/p>\n

Does your website display correctly in multiple browsers?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What looks good in Chrome might not work in IE and what looks good on your desktop might render horribly in a mobile environment. \u00a0Check your website in multiple browsers at once using cross-browser compatibility testing tools like BrowserShots<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Are your load times reasonable?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Slow load times frustrate both users and the search engines alike. \u00a0Make sure your site speed is up-to-par (or get recommendations on how to improve load times if necessary) by using Google\u2019s free PageSpeed Insights<\/a> tool.<\/p>\n

Can the search engines index your content?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Plenty of different website elements can interfere with search engine indexing, which can prevent your site from receiving all of the natural search engine traffic it should. \u00a0Run your website through the WebConf\u2019s Search Engine Spider Simulator<\/a>. \u00a0If you don\u2019t see your content appear as text, something in your site\u2019s code is preventing proper indexing and must be resolved.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Step #2 Branding Identity<\/h3>\n

Of course, website usability isn\u2019t all about your site\u2019s functionality. \u00a0Another key component of your website\u2019s operation is its ability to distinguish itself from other sites in order to retain readers. \u00a0Here\u2019s what you need to know:<\/p>\n

Does your website pass the '5 second test'\u009d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Using tools like FiveSecondTest<\/a>, determine whether or not your company\u2019s most important website elements are appropriately highlighted through your site\u2019s design. \u00a0If not, make changes and run future tests until visitors hit upon your most important content right off the bat.<\/p>\n

Do your visual aesthetics distinguish your brand?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The importance of a site\u2019s visual qualities can\u2019t be understated. \u00a0Use the principles of color psychology and the process of split testing to ensure that the visual aesthetics of your website don\u2019t conflict with your brand\u2019s identity or positioning.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"website<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Step #3 Navigation<\/h3>\n

While it\u2019s important to address any deficiencies in your site\u2019s structure, it\u2019s just as critical that users be able to find the information they\u2019re looking for upon arriving on your website. \u00a0Check your navigation before it wrecks your site\u2019s usability.<\/p>\n

Is your main navigation easily identifiable?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When it comes to navigation, don\u2019t make your visitors guess! \u00a0Ask friends, family members and other contacts whether or not they can immediately identify the main navigation elements of your site. \u00a0If they can\u2019t, your website visitors can\u2019t either meaning that a redesign is in order.<\/p>\n

Are your links styled clearly and consistently?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beyond your main navigation bars, internal and external links help your readers to move through your site and find the content they\u2019re looking for. \u00a0Make it clear how they should proceed by styling your links using a consistent set of colors and fonts.<\/p>\n

Can visitors quickly identify important pages on your site?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Website visitors have notoriously short attention spans. \u00a0If they can\u2019t find what they\u2019re looking for on your site in just a few moments, they\u2019ll hit the 'Back'\u009d button and head to your competitors\u2019 websites. \u00a0Minimize this by making key pages and key pieces of content immediately apparent through your site’s design.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Step #4 Content<\/h3>\n

Once you\u2019ve helped your visitors to move through your content, make it as easy as possible for them to digest the information they\u2019ve found by optimizing your page text from a usability standpoint:<\/p>\n

Is your content easily digestible?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Large blocks of text fail when it comes to usability. \u00a0Instead, break up your content through the use of headings, sub-headings, bullet point lists, numbered lists and bolded text.<\/p>\n

Are your critical pieces of information placed above the fold?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t hide important information below the fold (that is, below the point at which a user must scroll his browser window to read more). \u00a0Doing so frustrates users, leading to unnecessarily high bounce rates and low on-site engagement.<\/p>\n

Does your page content utilize on-site SEO best practices?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although SEO often gets a bad rap as being 'scammy,'\u009d it can be used appropriately to benefit both users and the search engines. \u00a0Make use of meta tags, keyword placements and internal links in accordance with current on-site SEO best practices for best results.<\/p>\n

Though the thought of measuring all of these different website elements might seem overwhelming, don\u2019t let this prevent you from taking action to improve your site\u2019s usability. \u00a0Addressing individual elements as your schedule permits will allow you to create a culture of continuous improvement that results in better website performance over time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sure, your website may be beautiful, but is it doing its job when it comes to converting first time visitors…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-web-and-hosting-tips"],"yoast_head":"\nWebsite Usability Testing 101 - HostGator<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/website-usability-testing-101\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Website Usability Testing 101\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sure, your website may be beautiful, but is it doing its job when it comes to converting first time visitors...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/website-usability-testing-101\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"HostGator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HostGator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-04-11T07:10:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/website-usability-testing.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Taylor Hawes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@HostGator\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@HostGator\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Taylor Hawes\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/website-usability-testing-101\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/website-usability-testing-101\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Taylor Hawes\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0519034239a8d6785a8238586f2f2754\"},\"headline\":\"Website Usability Testing 101\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-04-11T07:10:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2013-04-11T07:10:05+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/website-usability-testing-101\/\"},\"wordCount\":844,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/website-usability-testing-101\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/website-usability-testing.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Web Hosting Tips\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/website-usability-testing-101\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/website-usability-testing-101\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/website-usability-testing-101\/\",\"name\":\"Website Usability Testing 101 - 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