Identify and describe at least two common usability problems with websites (i.e. pulldown menus, taglines) and suggest possible solutions.
- Poor search engines or nearly impossible to search at all:
One of the most common problems that users come across is struggling to find the information they are looking for. Generally, the bigger the site, the harder it will be to locate something within that site. Users tend to go for a search bar when they can’t find what they are looking for any other way. You never know when this might occur, so the search bar should be on every page of a site – not just the home page. Navigation systems that are poorly designed, links that are poorly worded, and search engines that are ineffective to the users are all common usability problems that create confusion and lost revenue. By providing plenty of assistance and visual cues to help your users find what they are searching for; will make their experience an enjoyable one. A couple of examples of assistance and visual cues would be; using a site map, an optional search system, and an error page that helps users find an alternative to the page that is missing; a modified “File not found” page.
- Poor Readability:
Readability measures the difficulty of the words and the construction of a sentence in a piece of content; it is the ease in which text can be read, and it is an important part of Web usability. Font size, color, and scanability are some of the most common factors of readability and are often overlooked. Web designers should use font types and sizes that can be read clearly. Another mistake often made is using colors that are hard to read, colors that are of low contrast make text difficult to read. Using dark text on light backgrounds is the best way to have your text stand out and clearly readable. Regarding scanability, users don’t want to see a lot of text, too much text and they will skip reading it and possibly leave the site for good. When designing a site, you should omit unnecessary text, Krug’s “third law of usability” and to make it a goal, is to remove half of the words; this helps make the useful content more prominent. A few main guidelines to remember is to use simple straightforward words, don’t try to use elaborate words or jargon. Use short sentences, and in general, use an 8th grade reading level if you are targeting a broad consumer audience.
References:
Retrieved January 24, 2018, from Michael Wong: http://www.great-web-design-tips.com/web-usability/62.html
Retrieved January 24, 2018. from Nectafy: http://nectafy.com/readability-guidelines/
Retrieved January 24, 2018. From: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/legibility-readability-comprehension/
William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White, The Elements of Style (Allyn and Bacon, 1979).
Sherman James 