presentation to Britcham in Hong Kong November 9, 2006

1. www.pilot.com.hk
is your website usable?
Tim Hay-Edie
pilot simple software
[t] 2810 4366
tim@pilot.com.hk
www.pilot.com.hk
November 9, 2006

2. www.pilot.com.hk
usable & usability
“Usability is a set of properties that makes something easy to use.”
we notice usability in its absence

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website usability
In the context of a website...
how efficiently a user can perform self-set tasks
Usability can be measured objectively via performance
errors and productivity, and
subjectively via user preferences and interface
characteristics.
what the hell?

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1. what are your objectives?
1. to “convert” the visitor
• make contact
• complete a sale
• registration or sign up
2. provide information
3. generate brand awareness
contact us at: +852 2810 1110 or info@pilot.com.hk

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website evolution
• (so far) 4 stages of web presence
• each stage is perfectly valid for your objectives
• each stage has best practice

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stage 1: the online brochure
• e-business card
• new business only
• visitor due diligence

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stage 2: the basic CMS
• e-business card
• (generally) new business only
• visitor due diligence
• more up-to-date

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stage 3: the CRM site
• capturing data
• push marketing
• return visitors

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stage 4: the e-commerce engine

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2. what does your visitor need?
1. research your visitors’ needs
2. design site around these needs
3. ensure you fulfill them...

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3. organisation of information
• spend time on the sitemap
• make it logical to the visitor
• get visitor feedback
• do a card sorting exercise

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case study: giabo.com/dessertmaster

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4. follow convention
• this is not being a copy cat
• general protocols have emerged
• these are for everyone’s benefit
• don’t risk confusing the user
how do I get home?

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examples:
• navigation structure
• labeling
enquiries find us inquiries locations
offices how to find us contacts contact us

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5. conceptual testing
• test early rather than fix late
• test logic of organisational structure
• test logic of tasks

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example: newsletter registration
newsletter newsletter
registration confirmation
name name
email email
country country
interests interests
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4. thank you
X i want to receive the newsletter X i want to receive the newsletter
X i want to receive other promotions X i want to receive other promotions you will receive your
newsletter soon.
data privacy code
terms of membership
submit confirm close
NOT
be a

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example: wireframe / homepage
NOT
be a

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example: wireframe / search page
NOT
be a

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6. technical testing
• test under different browsers
• test under different screen resolutions
• consider page load speed
• error testing tools

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example: browser (IE 7.0)

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example: browser (IE 6.0)

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example: browser (IE 5.5)

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example: page load

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example: page load

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7. typography & design
research shows that:
font, size, space between lines, line width, length of paragraph,
colour of text, colour of background, use of animation...
all impact:
• speed of navigation,
• readability &
• comprehension

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example: text colour & background
simplicity is usability simplicity is usability
Pilot creates powerful software that is incredibly easy to Pilot creates powerful software that is incredibly easy to
use. use.
We believe in usability, we believe that less is more. Too We believe in usability, we believe that less is more. Too
often software follows the "80 / 20 rule". This states that often software follows the "80 / 20 rule". This states that
80% of the software is only used 20% of the time. 80% of the software is only used 20% of the time.
Programmers pack functionality into software which Programmers pack functionality into software which
users have no need for, but have to pay for. At Pilot we users have no need for, but have to pay for. At Pilot we
believe that you should use the functionalty 100% of the believe that you should use the functionalty 100% of the
time. time.
We also know that you will generally never read a We also know that you will generally never read a
manual, so we make our software intuitive. We don't manual, so we make our software intuitive. We don't
hide functionaltiy behind dropdown menus, we put the hide functionaltiy behind dropdown menus, we put the
buttons right there on the interface for you. We believe in buttons right there on the interface for you. We believe in
consistency of design and protocol. consistency of design and protocol.

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8. content style
• research shows users tend to skim text and dip into detail
• users prefer short, bulleted points (and the ability to print)
• write for the user, not the marketing department

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9. content sell-by-date
• content is (and always was) king
• time sensitive content should be archived or replaced
• visitors will quickly leave the site otherwise
last updated: March 3, 2005

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10. defer to the statistics
• website traffic analysis will reveal details about its usability
• what pages are visited most, and for how long?
• what pages are the main exit points?
• at what stage during the payment process do we lose the sale?

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example: visits

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example: site entry / exit & visit pages

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example: bounce offs

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the benefits of good usability
• increased “conversion” rate - sales, calls, submissions
• decreased drop-off rates
• reduced reliance on call centres
• measurable ROI

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example: formulas for calculating ROI
increased conversion rate conversion rate = # of visitors who purchase
# of visitors
( annual site
profit x improved conversion rate
current conversion rate ) - annual site
profit = annual
ROI
example: increased conversion rate by 5% annual ROI = $500,000 x (15/10) - $500,000 = $250,000
annual site profit $500,000
conversion rate 10%
improved conversion rate 15%

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example: formulas for calculating ROI
decreased drop-off rate
( pre-design
drop-off % - post-design
drop-off % )x current monthly
page traffic = change in monthly
drop-off
change in monthly
drop-off x average order
size x profit %
per order x 12 months / year = annual profit
increase
example: reduced drop-off rate on the
check-out submit page change in monthly drop-off = (60% - 40%) x 10,000 = 2,000
pre-design drop-off 60% annual profit increase = 2,000 x $500 x 20% x 12 = $2.4m
post-design drop-off 40%
current monthly page traffic 10,000 views
average order size $500
profit % per order 20%

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examples of good usability
• accessibility

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examples of good usability
• accessibility

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examples of good usability
• user suggested feature

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examples of good usability
• in-site searching

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examples of good usability
• member only content

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examples of good usability
• Flash CMS

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examples of good usability
• surveys and questionnaires

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examples of good usability
• visitor feedback

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examples of good usability
• mini-quiz, polls

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in conclusion...
• consider your business objectives
• research your visitors needs
• spend more time up front
• best practice design
• write for the web - update it
• pay attention to the statistics

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post script
• if they can’t find it is it usable?
If a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it, did it make a noise?

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more definitions
The ease of which a user can interpret and respond to information.
aardvarkmedia.co.uk
A measure of how easy it is for a user to complete a task. In the context of Web pages this concerns how
easy it is for a user to find the information they require from a given Web site.
bized.co.uk
The effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction with which specified users can achieve specified goals in a
particular environment. Synonymous with "ease of use".
SQAtester.com
That quality of a system that makes it easy to learn, easy to use and encourages the user to regard the
system as a positive help in getting the job done.
georgetown.edu
How easy an interface design is to understand and use.
Lisa Graham, The Principles of Interactive Design, 1999

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more definitions
The ease that users experience in navigating an interface, locating information, and obtaining knowledge over
the Internet.
csus.edu (Sacramento State University)
Usability is a multidimensional attribute that relates to the impact a product has on its end-users. In general
it refers to the efficiency with which a customer can do their tasks with the product, and their overall
satisfaction with that process. Usability should be considered from a systems perspective including the
hardware and software interfaces, the documentation, packaging, and any other component of the system
and processes surrounding it that affects the user...
thehfe.com (Human Factors, Inc)
Usability is the measure of a product's potential to accomplish the goals of the user. In information
technology, the term is often used in relation to software applications and Web sites. Some factors used in
determining product usability are ease-of-use, visual consistency, and a clear, defined process for evolution.
cesa8.k12.wi.us/media/digital_dictionary.htm (The Digital Dictionary)
Refers to the level or degree of a page's operating friendliness for the user and how effective, efficient,
engaging, error tolerant and easy to learn a website is.
infinityunlimited.co.uk
The ease of use of a website, or any other product. Usability encompasses many different disciplines, from
Cognitive Psychology to graphic design.
chriscassell.net

49. www.pilot.com.hk
thank you...
Tim Hay-Edie
pilot simple software
[t] 2810 4366
tim@pilot.com.hk
www.pilot.com.hk