Some key goals of Usability testing

Effective to use

Does the website do it's job well?
This would be important if the function of the site is to give information and promotional material leading to sale of products and so on. This would have implications for the profitability and maintenance of the company.

Efficient to use

Does the website facilitate the users goals well?
This goal would follow from the effectiveness as the website needs to facilitate and enable the user to visit and spend with the company. It makes sense that it be made as easy as possible for the user to spend or ignite their interest in the company. Statistics show that a users experience at a website affects whether they return and use the site again.

Have good utility

Can users do what they want to do with the website?
This is important because users who cannot achieve their goal with the website may be deterred from engaging with the company at all.

Easy to learn

Is the website quick to learn or intuitive to use?
In the context of a website this is somewhat limited as this may depend more on the users internet experience in general. However, if the website complies with certain expectations based on general internet usage, e.g consistent navigation, it becomes easier to use, more effective and has more utility.

Easy to remember

How memorable to use is the site?
This is essentially facilitated in conjunction with the above points. The easier a website is to remember how to use, the greater effectiveness, efficiency, utility and learnability over time. This will have an impact on the relationship with the user over time and familiarity breeds trust and hence profit

Visibility

The controls to enable the website to function must be clear and visible, that is to say they must be distinct from their immediate environment. For example flashy graphics may obscure a button and hence provide poor visibility.

Feedback

This refers to the communication of the reaction of the system to the users action. It also lets the user know of any erroneous actions and prompts the user if they need to take other actions.

Constraints

This item speaks for itself. Explicitly, it refers to the limitations of the user environment and the associated avoidance of erroneous actions on the users part. Limitations can guide the user by making only correct options possible.

Mapping

This refers to the relationship between the controls and their associated actions possible on the website and also the relationship between those controls.

Consistency

This refers to the relative similarity of the interactive object between areas/environments/screens.

Affordance

Affordance is where the mode of action of an object is made obvious in its design. For example a door handle affords pulling and turning, a button affords pushing and so on.



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