SWe 432 Introduction

							    Prioritizing Web Usability
       Nielsen and Loranger
Chapter 2: The Web User Experience
                  Paul Ammann

           http://cs.gmu.edu/~pammann/

                    SWE 432
 Design and Implementation of Software for the Web
                                 Overview
   •        How Well Do People Use the Web?
   •        User Satisfaction with Web Sites
   •        How People Use Sites
   •        Search Dominance
   •        Scrolling
   •        Complying with Design Conventions and Usability Guidelines
   •        Information Foraging



   First Time User: You have Less Than Two Minutes!

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              How Well Do People Use the Web?

   • The Measure of Success
            – Progress Users Make in Completing a Task at a NEW Site
            – Example Task: Make a Reservation
   • Web-Wide Success Rates
            – 66 % (Site Specific Tasks) vs. 40% in the 1990s!
            – (60% Web-Wide Tasks)
   • Success by Experience Level
            – Low Experience: 59% (Site-Specific) to 52% (Web-Wide)
            – High Experience: 72% (Site-Specific) to 67% (Web-Wide)


       Users Fail a Lot!
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                User Satisfaction With Web Sites
• Users Often Don’t Realize What They’ve Missed
            – Hence Satisfaction is Hard to Accurately Measure
• Key Distinction: Home Page (40%) vs. Deep Link (60%)
• Three Guidelines for Supporting Deep Link Users
            – Tell Users Where They Are and Where They Can Go
               • Name/Logo on every page
               • Direct, One-Click Link to Home Page
               • Search, Preferably in Upper Right Corner
            – Orient User to the Rest of the Site
            – Don’t Assume that Users Have Drilled Down

      Make All of Your Site Accessible
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                          How People Use Sites
 • Average 3.2 Sites Per Task
            – Less Than Two Minutes Prior to Abandoning
            – Rarely Revisit A Site
 • The HomePage: So Much to Say, So Little Time
            –   Average Times: 35 Seconds (Novice) vs 25 Seconds (Expert)
            –   Experienced Users are Ruthless!
            –   Clarity is Crucial
            –   No Long Winded Text – Users Won’t Read It Anyway
            –   Users Aren’t Reading the Page – They are Figuring Out
                Where to Go Next
 • Examples: QuadGraphics Dial Before You Dig
      You Need to Support The User’s Task
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                        How People Use Sites (2)
 • Four Goals in Thirty Seconds For a Home Page
            –   What Site User Has Arrived At
            –   What Benefits the Organization Offers Them
            –   Something About the Company and its Products/Benefits
            –   Their Choices And How to Navigate To Desired Section
 • Interior Page Behavior
            – Users Read More Content on Interior Pages
            – Eye Scans Show Users Spend More Time In Content Area
 • Tip: Optimizing Interior Page Links
            – Put Important Links in Content Area of Interior Pages
 • Homepage vs. Interior: Apple vs. IPhones Settings
      Home Pages and Interior Pages Are Used Differently
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                            Search Dominance
   • Percentage a Task Starts at a Search Engine: 88%
   • The Rise of “Answer Engines”
            – Users Search for Answers, Not for Promising Sites
   • Four Ways to Grab Value From Search Engine Visitors
            – Offer Flytrap content:
               • Narrowly Focused Pages With Answers to Common Problems
            – Embellish the Answer with Rich “See Also” links
            – Go Beyond Pure Information
               • Provide Analysis and Insight
            – Publish a Newsletter with Additional Tips and Information

            Users Don’t Want You; They Want Your Data!
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                           Search Dominance(2)
• Organic vs. Sponsored Links
            – Organic Links Are Best Matches for User’s Query
            – Sponsored Links are Ads
• How People Use the Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
            – 93 % Visit First SERP Only
            – Only 47% Scroll the First SERP
               • With Google, 4 or 5 Organic Sites “Above the Fold”
            – 51% Click on First Site; Only 16% Click on Second Site
• Number One Guideline for Search Engine Optimization
            – Aim for the Top Spot!


            Users Don’t Go For a Lot of Breadth
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                         Search Dominance(3)
• Keyword Pricing Estimates For Usability Improvements
            – Bottom Line: Google is Making a LOT of Money
• Determining the Optimal Bid for a Search Keyword Ad
            – Maximize Profit, Not Total Business
• How Much is Improved Usability Worth?
            – Typically Doubles “Conversion Rate”
• Three Reasons to Improve Your Site
            – Keyword Bids Will Gradually Become Insufficient
            – Beat Your Competitor
            – Keep The Customers You Get Through Other Channels

            Business Case for Commercial Sites
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                                   Scrolling
   • Tip: Design for Short Scrolling
            –   23% Scroll Home Page First Visit
            –   14% Later Visits to Home Page
            –   42% Scroll Interior Pages
            –   47% Scroll SERP




      “Users are Lazy and Ignorant” (page 45)


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                Complying with Design Conventions
                    and Usability Guidelines
 • Seven Reasons for Standard Design Elements.
            –   Users Know What Features to Expect
            –   Users Know How Features Look in Interface
            –   Users Know Where on Site/Page to Find Features
            –   Users Know How to Operate Features
            –   Users Don’t Ponder Meaning of Unknown Design Elements
            –   Users Don’t Miss Important Features
            –   Users Don’t Get Surprised


      Part of Good Design Is Community Standards
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                         Information Foraging
 • Information Scent: Predicting a Path’s Success
            – Users Persist If the Scent is Getting Stronger
 • Diet Selection: What Sites to Visit
            – An Easy Catch
            – A Tasty Meal
 • Three Ways to Enhance Information Scent
            – Ensure that Links Describe Precisely What User Will Find
            – Use English Instead of Made-Up Words
            – Remind Users They Are On The Right Path
               • Provide Feedback About Their Location And Its Relevance

       Web Sites In Darwinian Competition
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                      Information Foraging(2)
 • Patch Abandonment: When to Hunt Elsewhere
            – Old Advice: Try to Trap Users On Your Site
            – New Advice: Thanks To Improved Search Engines, Users Now
              Leave When the Foraging Grows Stale
 • Design Strategies for Attracting Information Foragers
            – Support Short Visits: Be an Information Snack
            – Encourage Users to Return
            – Emphasize Search Engine Visibility
 • Informavore Navigation Behavior
            – Users Ruthlessly Apply Cost/Benefit Analysis For Information
              Nuggets

       Understand the Informavore!
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