Web page real estate is precious.  You've got a logo, tagline, navigation, salient images, can't-miss content, important content, and not-as-important-but-still-necessary content that all has to fit on there somewhere.  Complicating things further, marketing, branding, legal, and various other departments compete for representation on the homepage.

Looking for some guidelines on where it should all go?  We've got them for you here.

1. Vertical viewing: Users spend about 80% of their time viewing the part of the screen that is "above the fold," meaning the part they can view with no scrolling, swiping, or paging.
2. Horizontal viewing: Users spend about 70% of their time viewing the left side of the screen, specifically the area that is between 300-500 pixels in from the left.  Users are trained to expect navigation on the left side of the screen, so they are more attentive to the screen after allowing a 200-300 pixel margin for it.     

The testing that led to these conclusions was done in 2010 on a 1024 x 768-sized monitor.  We'd assume higher resolution screens would cause the viewing pattern to stretch or shift to the right .  

What's the bottom line?  User attention and interest peaks at 300 - 400 pixels.  To conform to user expectations, keep navigation on the left, your most important content just to the right of the navigation, and less important content furthest to the right.  Put all of the most important content above the fold as users give just 20% of their attention to content placed below. 

Source: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/horizontal-attention.html

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As if we didn’t all already know we’re an impatient people, an infographic put together by OnlineGraduatePrograms.com last week helps quanitfy just how our distaste for waiting impacts website conversion rates. 

The takeaway is that minimizing time on task is vital to a successful website routine. If you’ve gotten users to your site and convinced them to take the next step with your company, congratulate yourself on clearing two big hurdles, but don’t stop there. If you don’t move them swiftly and efficiently through the next steps, you might ultimately lose their business.

Consider these statistics:

1. Google found that of the 3 billion searches that are done in a day, slowing the response time by just .04 seconds reduced the number of searches a day by 8 million.
2. One in 4 users will abandon a web page that doesn’t load in 4 seconds.
3. Half of mobile web users will abandon a page that doesn’t load in 10 seconds. Moreover, 3 out of 5 of these users will not return to that site. 
4. Of the $24 billion in revenue Amazon enjoys every year, $1.6 would be lost because of a 1-second page delay.

Speed isn't the only factor impacting website usability. Contact Is It Easy? to learn more.

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This result begs the question, why is Dell still using the poorer-performing version on their website? 

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What do these companies know that you don't?  Is it worth investing in video as a sales tool for your product or service? Consider these reasons why online video is so persuasive, from Susan Weinschenk, an expert in applied psychology.  

1. Movement in peripheral vision grabs attention.  Based on the number and type of receptor cells in the retina, we detect movement best with our peripheral vision. Moving video is particularly difficult to ignore, even while we're paying attention to other parts of the screen.
2. Speakers' and listeners' brains sync up.  Research has shown that when we listen to someone speak, the listener's brain patterns begin to mirror those of the speaker's. The closer the brains are synched up, the more the listener understands the speaker's message.
3. Video compensates (somewhat) for the asynchronous problem.  There is sychronous communication (phone, Skype) and asychronous communication (email, texting). Weinschenk refers to research showing that we're bonded during sychronous communication. While video is asychronous, the ability to hear and see a person makes it the most compelling of all asychronous forms of communication.
4. Video can convey emotional information, not just factual.  Watching and listening to someone speak communicates more social and emotional information than just reading text. This information can be more compelling than the "just the facts" style of text.
5. Video testimonials combine all the powerful elements together.  Written reviews and testimonials are already very compelling to users. They provide the social proof many users seek when buying a product or service. Video testimonials provide not only social proof, but they also grab the users' attention, synch up their brains, and speak to their emotions.

Given how effective video testimonials can be, you should certainly consider them for your business.  They could be exactly what convinces your website visitor to become your customer.  

You can read Weinschenk's take on it here.

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Jared Spool wrote an interesting article last week about ending the opinion war and how his company handles the task. The term opinion war is pretty self-explanatory; but just to be clear, it is when two parties having a vested interest in a project hold differing opinions about how something should be implemented.

Opinion wars can be difficult to navigate.  It can be nearly impossible to sway someone’s opinion on a matter. Many times because each party thinks it has comes to an opinion in a reasoned and rational way, which makes it difficult to see the reason and rationale behind the opposing opinion. This is what makes politics so entertaining/frustrating, right?

As a small business owner, you may argue with yourself more than anyone else about how something should be accomplished, but even still we have a few suggestions on how to come to a sound resolution.  

Spool offers two suggestions in his article.  We added the third.

1. Use an arbitrator. Each project has a not-so-senior project manager who has the full power to make the final decision. This person is tasked with evaluating the opinions, asking for advice from senior practitioners if needed, then banging the gavel. An interesting approach.
2. Let user research guide the way. This is the approach Is It Easy? specializes in. First and foremost, ongoing user research helps orient stakeholders’ opinion in the right way, staving off potential opinion wars. However, when a specific difference does arise, we’ll review what data we may already have about our users (personas, scenarios of use, interviews, surveys) for insights. Then, if needed, we’ll collect new research using prototypes.   
3. Use A/B testing to evaluate each opinion. Rather than using prototypes in a round of user testing, we’ll create two different versions of the same page that will go out live to your users. Each version will be exactly the same, the only difference being the element in question. Half of your users will see one version of the page (version A) and the other half will see the other version (version B). When you set a conversion goal, you can assess which design yields better results.

When should I use A/B testing?  We feel it works best in the following situations.

1. The elements in question are specific and discrete. A/B testing works for questions about particular images, text, colors, labels, and placement. We test one variable at a time to avoid confounding the results. If there are larger questions about whether or not your message is getting across to users or if your subscription or shopping cart flow is confusing, those are questions best left to user testing. You may learn from user testing that your shopping cart flow is confusing because of the placement, wording, or color of your checkout button, in which case we'll use A/B testing to discover the optimal design.
2. Each opinion can be tied to a conversion scenario. For each page version, we’ll want to set up a conversion page or some other way of tracking a “win.” A conversion is the desired behavior from the user, such as subscribing, placing an order, or submitting contact information. Therefore, we can track a conversion when a user lands on the “thank you” for subscribing, ordering, or contacting page. The design that leads to more conversions wins the opinion war.  
3. Results from qualitative user studies were inconclusive. If the element you’re arguing over is specific, sometimes you may not get a clear picture of what would serve the users better during user testing. User testing uses a small sample size, so questions such as which banner placement yields more clicks may not be conclusive. I love user testing, but it can be somewhat artificial because users adopt goals and motivations for the test they may not have in real situations. To get answers to very specific questions, we recommend A/B testing to see what converts a higher rate of customers over a large sample size.  

What are your thoughts? Have you had opinion wars over design decisions in your business? Tell us how you came to a resolution.  

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First, let's recap what led to the "disappointingly poor" user experience rating.  

1. Users struggled with fat-fingering.
   There were frequent tap errors and accidental activation on non-mobile websites using the Fire. The study found users were more accurate when they used mobile sites typically designed for phones. 
2. The device is too heavy.
   As an e-reader, the study found the Fire too heavy to comfortably hold over a long period of time. It is a device meant to be used with one hand; however, despite being lighter than the iPad (a device designed for two hands), it is still too heavy for single-handed use over a long period of time.  
3. There are no physical buttons for turning the page.
   The lack of physical buttons requires the user to tap the screen to turn the page, which interrupts the reading experience.
4. There are other UI design problems.
   They found the screen updates were slow and broke the illusion of direct manipulation. Also, users couldn't detect the highlighting feedback around buttons because it was too small to see around their fingers.

The report was widely reported and generated a ton of feedback.  In his rebuttal to the critics, Nielsen wrote two things that caught my eye. First, he states that the Fire "feels like a product that was rushed into production. A few extra months of usability studies, iterative design, and more sophisticated programming would have worked wonders." This stood out to me because the battle between timing the release of a product or website and getting the design right is something that comes up with my clients frequently. Was it worth it to Amazon to sacrifice usability and performance just so that the Fire could be a wrapped up under the Christmas tree? Amazon has the brand, presence, and resources to overcome this unfortunate Fire debut, but your business may not. You may not have a second chance with your clients.  

Nielsen also states it is important to report on the usability failings of high-profile products, such as the Kindle Fire, because companies with tighter budgets tend to follow the lead of larger companies that they assume have invested in usability studies, focus groups, and market testing. The Fire's shortcomings teach us that the big guys don't always get it right. That's why it's important for small businesses to invest in their own expert reviews and usability tests. The insights you'll gain are particular to your product, your service, and your website.  Sure, there are things to be learned from the big guys, but sometimes they are "what not to dos." 

Find out more about how Is It Easy? can help you ensure usability problems on your website aren't losing you customers on our Services page.  Also, find out more about why usability testing is so important.

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In an interesting article, Jared Spool recently wrote "Riding the Magic Escalator of Acquired Knowledge" about designing for users with a range of current knowledge levels. He describes this range as an escalator. At the bottom is no knowledge of the design. Moving up the escalator, Spool places the point of current knowledge, then the point of target knowledge, and finally he puts full knowledge at the top. The knowledge gap is the space between the user's current knowledge and target knowledge. Target knowledge is what many designers tend to assume the user posseses while designing the system. 

This assumption is where designers run into trouble. I've written twice before about the curse of knowledge. For anyone designing a system or a website, it is extremely hard to unknow what you already know about your business, your services, your value proposition, and even the check-out process, login flow, or registration steps on your website. 

To overcome the gap, designers can choose between training users or simplyfying the design.  Training moves the user's current knowledge point further up the escalator. Simplyfying moves the target knowledge point down. Which is the right approach? User testing is a great way to understand if you have a knowledge gap and exactly how big it is. In addition, it's important to understand that the current knowledge points of all of your users aren't going to fall on the same spot on the escalator. So, if you identify a gap, you'll want to test many more users until you define a reasonable range for your universe of users. Then, you can start designing with an informed notion of where your users are on the escalator. 

So, consider user testing for Christmas, as a gift to you and your users! It will improve your website.  Merry Christmas!

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We know that most older adults experience some type of vision loss. In addition, cognitive abilities such as working memory, perceptual speed, and text comprehension, among others, are also impacted.

To make your site easy for older adults, keep these recommendations in mind from the National Institute on Aging.

1. Break information into short sections.
2. Give instructions clearly and number each step.
3. Allow additional space around clickable targets.
4. Use 12- or 14-point type size, and make it easy for users to enlarge text.
5. Use high-contrast color combinations, such as black type against a white background.
6. Minimize the use of jargon and technical terms.
7. Provide a speech function to hear text read aloud.
8. Provide text-only versions of multimedia content.
9. Minimize scrolling.
10. Choose a search engine that uses keywords and doesn’t require special characters or knowledge of Boolean terms.
11. Use single mouse clicks.

In our user testing,we've found the first six recommendations to be the most critical. By following these guidelines and designing your website to be considerate of older adults, you'll build instant credibility with this user group.

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Three crucial components, but there are four listed here.  Whenever I see mistakes like this, it decreases my trust in the company.

During a usability test last week, several of the users noticed a single mistake on the website that caused them to call into question the competency of the company.

The mistake was stating there were three components and then listing four (shown above).  Easy to do.  When the content was written initially, there were probably three components.  At some point later, someone decided to add another.  But no one reread the entire page to see if adding a fourth impacted any of the other content.

As a result, a careless mistake casts a doubt about the whole company in the minds of users.  And on the web, where the battle for the user's attention is highly competitve, a doubt is all it can take to lose your user to the next website.  

Therefore, proofreading is one important step towards creating a truly persuasive site that enhances your company's credibility.   

(I hope I don't have any typos in this blog entry.)

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Getting customers on the path to purchase is an accomplishment. You’ve convinced them they need your product enough to fork over their hard-earned money to you in exchange. Once users click the Buy or Checkout button, they have an expectation of what the next few moments of their life will be like. 

1. Fill in address
2. Dig out and enter credit card info
3. Enter address
4. Select shipping speed
5. Submit order

Also, let’s not forget the subroutine that many of us embark upon somewhere in there.

1. Do a quick search for a coupon code
2. Hopefully find a coupon code
3. Find coupon code entry box
4. Enter code

The other day, I was merrily shopping online when I suddenly found myself on a registration page. It seems I could no longer go about my business in peace. At that point, the powers that be decided it was an appropriate time to put the brakes on my delightful forward progress. I must now tell them who I am and where they can send my advertisements.  

Sigh.

I’m interrupted. I was 2-seconds away from inputting my credit card information, but instead of clicking “Submit Order,” I’m typing in a user name, entering a password, and checking boxes. My hope at this point is that I’ll be dropped back at the same spot I was taken away from. Too often, that doesn’t happen.  Too often, I’m dropped off at some sort of welcome page or even the home page again. And, to add insult to injury, sometimes I’m even asked to log in!  What?!?

If there is some benefit to logging in the user may want to take advantage of, like avoiding having to fill in a mailing address or credit card information, then by all means offer the user a way to do that. But for the user who is focused on completing a goal; let him complete it, uninterrupted by your agenda. The site can always offer a way to create an account during the checkout process. Also, be sure to state the benefits of creating an account and include information about how your company intends to use the account information. Many users are wary of filling up their inbox with even more marketing emails.

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Time and again, I come across webpages with too much text, including that of a client I’m working with right now. I know it is hard to edit yourself because you have a message you really want to get across. But users do not read a pages like they might a magazine article. Users scan the page foraging for information that looks relevant or interesting. In fact, users probably only read about 20% of the content on an average page.  And for every 100 words over average, the percentages drop even lower.  

Think of text on the website like “life advice” you may give to your kids or spouse. The less you say the more influence your words actually have.  

What’s the best way to accommodate the reading style of web users?  Follow these pointers from  Jakob Nielsen to make your content very easy to scan.

• highlighted keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others)
• meaningful sub-headings (not "clever" ones)
• bulleted lists
• one idea per paragraph (users will skip over any additional ideas if they are not caught by the first few words in the paragraph)
• the inverted pyramid style, starting with the conclusion
• half the word count (or less) than conventional writing

Imagine you only have a few seconds of your user's attention (which is true), what are the one or two things you'd want him to get from the page? Make sure those items are the easiest to find with a quick scan.

Credits
Image:Steve Krug, Don't Make Me Think
Stats: Jakob Nielsen, How Little Do Users Read
Pointers: Jakob Nielsen, How Users Read on the Web 

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An interesting experience with my two-year-old last week reminded me of one of the many reasons usability testing is so important: It’s hard to think like a beginner.  

My daughter loves to “color on Mommy’s phone,” which means she wants to use a particular Sesame Street app that contains an iPhone version of a coloring book. I love it, as it has provided me with many consecutive moments of needed concentration. When she wants to start over on a new page, she would hand it over to me for help. One day, I decided to give her verbal instructions so she could learn to do it herself (a very popular concept with her age group).   

Daughter: “Mommy, I want to color Zoe now.”

Me: “Ok, Sloane. What you need to do is touch the star.”

She touches the star which causes the following message to appear: “Are you sure you want to choose a new coloring page? Your coloring will not be saved.”

Me: “Ok. Now say ‘Yes.’”

Sloane:  “Yes.”

The message remains on the screen.  I get a puzzled look.  

If I were instructing a person with a few more years under her belt, the phrase “say ‘Yes’” when presented with “Yes” or “No” buttons would not have elicited a verbal response. But, my sweet daughter is still rather new at all this and takes things a bit literally.

The obvious usability takeaway here is that something that is obvious to you may not be obvious to your user. I’ve written before about the curse of knowledge. The insider information you have about your company, the business environment, your website, and all the decisions it took to get where you are makes you unable to see the world, and your website, as if you were a beginner.  

With usability testing, you have the opportunity to see things through sets of eyes that don’t connect to your brain. You’ll observe users doing and saying things that shock you. You’ll have those moments when you say to yourself, "I can't believe they...

• "can’t find that button.”
• "don’t understand what our company does.”
• “don't feel like we're giving them enough information to act."
• "can’t find the directions to our office, our return policy, our testimonials, etc."

Just like the exchange I had with my daughter; to me, it was obvious what I meant. To her, it was not and she was lost.  Are you losing potential customers because you're not being as clear as you think you are?        

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Want to know how your checkout process could be failing to convert bargain hunters into customers? Here’s an example…

An enticing email with a 25% off promo code for LittleMissMatched last week, lured me into a little shopping on the website.  Although I arrived at the site courtesy of the giant “25% off” link in the email, there was no acknowledgement of that on the landing page.  

Tip: When users arrive on your site using a link in an email about a discount or sale, acknowledge that in an obvious way right on the landing page. This builds trust and excitement, two marvelous persuasive elements for shoppers.

I found a couple of bargains, put them in my cart, decided I was done, and went to check out.   

Not only was the discount not acknowledged on the landing page, it was also not acknowledged on the shopping cart page. In fact, there was no box to enter the promo code and no button to apply it, so the page doesn’t show me the final discounted price. Instead I see the full price glaring at me. The excitement over my discount purchase, my bargain buzz, is beginning to fade. 

 Just then, I see the note at the top informing me that I can enter my code later on in the process.  That’s fine, but I can feel myself losing the urge to complete my purchase now. The checkout process is not delivering on the promise the email hooked me with. I know I could use my head to figure out what my final cost will be (afterall, my undergrad was in mathematics), but that’s not fun and it kills the momentum. 

Tip: When designing for a bargain hunter, you must do one thing well.  Show her how much of a bargain she’s getting. Show her in bold and color. Show her in dollars and percentage. Show her in dimes and nickels (ok, just kidding about that one).   Deliver loud and clear on the promise she is getting a deal.  

Things go downhill from there.  I find myself on a login page, no promo code entry box in sight.  In addition, the screen on this page starts to look sketchy.  There is already an error message on the page when I arrive.  What?

The next page asks for my payment information.  All the usual questions start to pop up in my mind.  Where is my final total?  Where is the promo code box so I can apply my coupon code and see what I’m saving?  Did I miss the box in an earlier step?  Is my credit card going to be charged here?  My excitement is dwindling, and I’m starting to think about other things now.  Then I notice the text above the credit card images telling me I can enter the promo code later in the process.  Later?  How much later?  How much longer is this process?  Now, I’m starting to wonder if this is worth it.  

Tip: Before asking a user to input her payment information, make sure she knows the final price.  

Once you start asking a user to exert effort (like inputting her credit card info), the potential for abandonment begins to increase. To combat that, make sure to maintain the user's excitement and focus about what's waiting at the end.

I abandoned my purchase at this point.  It was late, and I drifted off to something else. Interestingly enough, the next day I noticed an email from LittleMissMatched telling me I left some items in my cart.  It was an attractive email, but the fact that the company has a process in place to address abandonment implies there is a known problem.  I believe if they fix their checkout process they’ll find they are sending out fewer of these emails.  

Bottom line: To improve conversions, generate excitement about the purchase. When it comes to bargain purchases, you have to do it first and foremost with the discounted price. You can pack another punch with messages like “Place your order now and you could be sleeping in your new super soft pajamas by then end of the week!” or “The weather is getting cooler.  These socks will look adorable on your toddler!”  

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The current Human Factors International newsletter led me to an explanation of the “Mere Exposure Effect.” Wikipedia tells us it is “a psychological phenomenon by which people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them.”  In the persuasive design world, this concept is labeled the Familiarity principle.  Changingminds.org states,

“Our brains are excellent pattern-matchers and reward us for using this very helpful skill. Repetition creates a pattern, which consequently and naturally grabs our attention.”

Explaining further,

“Repetition creates familiarity, but does familiarity breed contempt? Although it can happen, the reality is that familiarity leads to liking in far more case than it does to contempt. When we are in a supermarket, we are far more likely to buy familiar brands, even if we have never tried the product before. Advertisers know this very well.”

Surprised by the realization the song that used to irritate you when it played on the radio suddenly started to “grow on you”? Would you rather have your mom’s lasagna over the one at the five-star Italian restaurant in town? Well, you can blame your self-organizing, pattern-loving brain. We prefer the familiar.

What is the implication for design?

1. Make sure the same words and actions mean and do the same thing throughout your website. In addition, as Bruce Tognazzini states, “It is just as important to be visually inconsistent when things must act differently as it is to be visually consistent when things act the same.” Consistency is important not only because it is frustrating when something doesn’t behave as expected, but because consistency compels familiarity and familiarity compels favorability. 
2. When possible, leverage existing models for layout, navigation, terminology, and interaction used on popular websites with which your users are familiar. If you sell accessories, think about the other sites your users are likely visiting to purchase accessories. How do those sites organize and categorize their inventory, display reviews and ratings, link to similar products, or support search? These familiar elements will give your users the sense they already know how to process and interact with your website, even at the first visit. 

Keep in mind, however, that the most important consistency is the consistency with user expectations (Tognazzini). Existing patterns may not work for your user. It’s perfectly admirable to do something new and different if it serves your user better. 

This all started with reading about Gestalt psychology in design. Look for a future post exploring this subject.

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Typically my usability tips apply to visual interfaces, but this week an auditory interface has roused my usability sensibility.  Keep in mind that all of your customer touch points, including phone messages, communicate something about your company and how it values its customers.  

Leaving a message at the doctor’s office last week, I encountered this recording, “For doctors Ashburn, Rogers, Floyd, Gonzalez, or Miller, press 1.  For doctors Harrison, Brown, or Peters, press 2...”  Partly because I’m a usability professional, but mostly because I’m a busy human being, I found myself a little aggitated by this message.  The doctor I was trying to reach was Ashburn, the first one in the list.  When I heard my doctor’s name, I was ready to act.  However, I couldn’t because I didn’t have the instruction yet.  Instead, I had to sit through the entire list of names until I'm told what to do, “press 1.”  

In many cases like this, you can get away with something once.  But, I was cut off during my first call. So, yes, I had to call back again and listen to the same message.  That’s when it really struck me that if the message was simply reworded to state the action first, “Press 2 for doctors Asher…“  I could be off and on my way to actually leaving a message already.  

This might seem like a small thing, but small things add up and get annoying over time. Generally speaking, many of your most loyal customers are the ones who are forced to encounter these small things over and over.  Honor your customers by letting them be as efficient as possible.  

What about the callers who aren’t paying attention until they hear their doctor’s name called?  Ah yes, we know the types.  The distracted “Huh, what?  Did you just call my name?” types.  It is possible these users will be less efficient if the message is changed to present the action first.  However, some percentage of these users will recall the earlier instruction even if they weren’t actively listening.  The remainder will probably guess they should press 1 when the next sentence in the message begins with, “Press 2…”  These phone message systems don’t always start with 1, but they don't typically skip numbers.

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In the book, they illustrate the curse with a memorable 1990 psychology study at Stanford of “listeners” and “tappers.”  The tappers tapped out the rhythm to a well-known song such as “The Star-Spangled Banner” or “Happy Birthday” on a table while the listeners had to guess the song based solely on the tapped rhythm.  Ahead of time, the tappers guessed the listeners could name the song 50% of the time.  What really happened?  The listeners guessed the song just 2.5% of the time.  That means that out of the 120 songs tapped out during the entire experiment, just three were correctly named.  That was quite a gap between what the tappers thought was obvious and what the listeners were actually picking up on.

Why were the tappers off by so much?  Because they couldn't put themselves in the listeners' state of mind.  While the listeners could hear only tapping, the tappers could hear the entire song in their heads. 

In the case of websites and mobile apps, the curse of knowledge is a number of things.  It’s knowing what you mean by the content on your site.  It's knowing what items you sell go with other items.  It’s knowing exactly what sets your business apart from the competition.  It’s knowing all that is available and how to log in, check out, subscribe, find out more, etc. You know all the ins and outs of the decisions made, which is exactly what makes it difficult for you to look at it like your customers do. Are you sure your customers know where to click?  Are you sure they understand the error messages?  Do you know what content on your site they actually read and what it means to them?

Usability testing is a powerful tool that bridges the gap between you and your customer, the tapper and the listener.  Contact us for more information and start your first usability test!

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He illustrates this point with an investigation into why the Wall Street Journal’s mobile app is stricken with a low, two-star rating and nasty reviews from irate customers.  Nielsen explains the app's first two screens leave subscribed users exasperated and convinced they are being charged for content they have already paid to view through the online channel.  Double charging?  Shame on you, WSJ!

Not so fast.  In the words of Jessica Rabbit, “I’m not bad.  I’m just drawn that way.”  It’s the design that’s misleading users.  Go further and they'll learn (on the third screen) the content is actually free for users subscribed through the website.  The problem is most users don’t hang around that long.They abandon the app altogether on the first or second screen feeling annoyed and mistreated.Two sentiments you don’t want users associating with your brand.

It's important to remember the interactive world is low-commitment, particularly in the case of mobile apps.  They tend to download for little to no money in little to no time.  Since users aren't invested in these apps, they likewise won't invest much time into figuring out how they work.  If your company has built an app to increase visibility, build loyalty, and encourage engagement, it must be useful, usable, and altogether easy.

By usability testing your app, you can determine if it is easy to use and meets customer's needs prior to putting it out for all of your users.  Once it is out and available for all, it is open to rating and review.  Avoid damaging your brand by finding out what is or isn't working before rolling it out to everyone.

Read Nielsen’s full article here. 

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Usability testing is an excellent way to identify where buttons should be placed on your forms.  Watching users go through your ordering process will show you where and when they want to take specific actions. It can also provide insights into why users are abandoning their order during checkout.  Do they need more information about the item, shipping costs, or return policies?  Was there a similar item they want to compare before making a final purchase?  Would customer or expert reviews give them confidence about their decision?  Or did they never intend to purchase the item today, but rather added it to their cart because your site doesn't have an "Add to Wish List" option?

My own recent experience illustrates this point.  While ordering a canvas print of my sweet son's six-month photo, I was asked to review and confirm my purchase.  I obeyed, scrolling all the way down the long form checking my inputs for accuracy.  What did I find when I reached the bottom?  Nothing.  Where are my Confirm and Cancel buttons?  Well, they are all the way back up at the top.

My recommendation?  Put another set of buttons where users need them.  Keep the ones at the top for the self-assured who mock the thought of reviewing their inputs.  But, put another set at the bottom.  There is nothing wrong with duplicating buttons, particularly in this case where much scrolling separates the two.

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Recently, while loading some books onto my daughter's Tag Junior, I found myself filling out a typical form.  First name, "Sloane."  Date of birth, "March...uh..."  Rather than filled with months, the drop down box was filled with years.  "Hmm...you must have read it wrong," I thought to myself.  Nope, the label reads "Date of birth."  I was still paralyzed for a moment with confusion (I'm not exaggerating here).  At that time, I skipped ahead and noticed the next label, "Month."  Why did the page designers complicate a simple and familiar entry form?  I would guess it made sense to the them at the time, and they did not put it in front of users for usability testing.  

This form is just another illustration of why usability testing is so important.  Designers, like writers, have a hard time editing their work.  It's important to get your designs in front of users during the design phase when changes can easily be made.  Your designs will eventually go in front of all of your users where usability mistakes can cost you credibility, likeability, and customers.

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Back when Oprah was still on (it wasn't as long ago as it seems), she devoted one of her last shows to Ralph Lauren.  I loved something he said.  

If you said, ‘Just design that dress for that girl,’ I couldn’t do it.  But if you say, ‘She lives in a mansion or she lives in Soho and she’s an artist,’ I could design exactly how she should look, how her hair should be, what she should be wearing, and I could create a world with her.  And I pin her up on a wall and I say, ‘Now I know what she needs.’ 

What Ralph Lauren is describing here is personas, in a loose way.  He knows to design that effectively, he's got to know something about his user.  He wants to know who his end user is, how she'll interact with his product, how it will meet her specific needs, and how it will fit into her life.  He uses this information for inspiration but also for usability.

Personas are descriptions of your user archetypes.  After hours and hours of interviews of dozens of users, you'll find they typically fall in about 3-6 categories that are differentiated by goals, skill levels, expectations, and other characteristics.  You create a detailed description, or "a world with her" for each archetype, slap on a name, and suddenly instead of designing for a population of nameless, faceless users, you're designing for "Sue," "Robert," "Allie," etc.  

Historically, creating personas is a protracted process.  However, if time and money are tight, we believe personas are important enough to create using the data you have available.  Pull out everything you know about your customers now, and put it to use.  Review it all, discover the main differentiators among your customers, and separate them into a handful of groups.  Your persona is a generalized, but detailed, description of each group.  You'll be astonished at the empowering impact these have on your designs.  

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