Wikipedia defines a heuristic evaluation as a usability inspection method for computer software that helps to identify usability problems in the user interface (UI) design.
How many websites and applications that you use routinely could benefit from this form of testing?
More often than not, usability problems negatively affect sales, result in larger than necessary bounce rates, and even increase operational costs in the form of unnecessary phone/email/chat support.
Yet, this evaluation process is a simple one: Involve a small group of testers to examine the user interface (UI) and identify problems in design (programmatic or aesthetic) so that they may be remedied accordingly.
From my own experience I have found that heuristic evaluations are best carried out when you provide your evaluators with the primary goals of the website and allow them to develop their own tasks in order to achieve these goals. Others may choose to be more rigid in their methodologies.
For a website I will typically create an evaluation checklist and bucket this list into simple categories. I typically choose the following categories: Navigation, Organization, Accessibility, Compatibility, Aesthetic Layout, Typography, Content, and On-Site Tools. However you may choose to add any additional category that may be relevant to your website or application.
Within each of these categories you may assign a series of questions for your evaluators to test. Be sure that the answers to each of these questions are simple Yes, No, or N/A answers. An example question for Navigation may be: "Is there always a clear indication of your current location within the entire site?" Having yes/no answers will allow you to definitively compare results and act accordingly instead of receiving subjective results. That being said, such evaluations can allow evaluators the ability to leave comments to describe their answer selection.
Lastly, I feel it is essential to evaluate all answers against a severity rating. Based on a evaluator's feedback, I will typically assign one of the following (4) selections to each of their answers.
- CRITICAL - A showstopper!. There is no way to avoid this bug. Normal usage or navigation of the site is not possible until a fix is made.
- HIGH - A critical bug. This bug appears frequently or is persistent and greatly hinders normal usage or navigation of the site.
- MED - A non-critical bug. This bug impairs normal usage or navigation of the site though can be avoided.
- LOW - A non-critical bug. This severity rating can even be reserved for general questions/considerations of the evaluator.
Once you have received feedback from your evaluators it is important that you carefully consider how to remedy the various issues that were encountered. Remember, when it comes to such evaluations, "there is no such thing as user error." If one evaluator found an element within your site confusing, it's highly likely that others do too.
Labels: heuristic evaluation, UI, Web Usability
I have always found it interesting that Usability Experts and Search Marketers both discount each other's work as not being relevant. Usability focuses on making a site more intuitive for an individual whereas Search Engine Optimization focuses (primarily) on making a site more intuitive for a search engine.
When compared side by side, both focus primarily on organization and retrieval of data. Let's think about this for a second. The algorithms that a typical search engine uses are built based on retrieving results relevant to how an individual would search for them.
Knowing this, it's easier to understand why when a client comes to me expecting a search engine optimization proposal that I have been known to respond with a proposal that contains tactics such as: "A/B testing," or "site analysis." Frankly (and this is where my colleagues in a competing business may get nervous), each business industry should be offering these skill sets as a service to their clients. I have found this knowledge imperative for developing my web strategies, implementations and subsequent testing. A process, that because of this methodology is no longer linear in it's approach.
Still, I know of many Search Engine Marketers (SEM's) that do not know how to read/write HTML. Conversely I can also think of many Designers, Developers and Information Architect's that have never considered a keyword strategy" or the ramifications that AJAX and/or Flash can have on a website.
A Designer may even tell you "We care more about the experience than the ranking that the site has on a search engine." A SEM may try to convince you that "exposure alone drives conversions." Both of these statements are missing the bigger picture.
In closing, a search engine will entice a user to come to a site as a result of proper page indexing. A properly designed and functional website will entice them to stay. When traffic and in turn content is targeted, usage and subsequently conversions will increase.Labels: A/B Testing, internet marketing, Search Engine Optimization, web marketing, web strategy, Web Usability, Website Analysis
