Think before you inflict

It’s not just web users who sometimes behave like twits, it’s not uncommon for webmasters to do it too. If you want to avoid sending your site’s visitors elsewhere, never to return, there are some basic rules to follow.

“No one should be allowed to inflict a design on users without knowing these basics.” Jakob Nielsen*

So what are the basics? I think Richard Waller’s seven point checklist is a good starting point:

1. Good First Impression
2. Friendly Image
3. Easy Navigation
4. Useful Content
5. Appropriate for Audience
6. Clear Contact Information
7. Good for Search Engines

Further reading:

There’s an excellent article on the subject here:
http://www.waller.co.uk/usability.htm

And an expanded version of the seven point checklist here along with an evaluation tool for testing your site:
http://www.waller.co.uk/usability16.htm

Website usability is a vast subject and one which is growing rapidly. But we’ll keep things simple here, just as we said we would, and look at the issues in manageable chunks.

* I’m not a big fan of Jakob Nielsen (I think many of his ideas are firmly stuck in a 1990s time-warp); however, he is still considered to be a leading spokesman in the usability industry.

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