Comments on: The increasing importance of usability in e-commerce http://www.goodusability.co.uk/2009/02/e-commerce-usability/ Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:54:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Lara http://www.goodusability.co.uk/2009/02/e-commerce-usability/comment-page-1/#comment-172 Lara Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:52:54 +0000 http://www.goodusability.co.uk/?p=614#comment-172 Thanks for this :) it's been useful and interesting to read! particularly some of the stats you've used. With the many tools out there today, there is no excuse for people to not conduct some user testing, even with small budgets some great in house testing can be done. Thanks for this :) it’s been useful and interesting to read! particularly some of the stats you’ve used.
With the many tools out there today, there is no excuse for people to not conduct some user testing, even with small budgets some great in house testing can be done.

]]> By: John Clark http://www.goodusability.co.uk/2009/02/e-commerce-usability/comment-page-1/#comment-168 John Clark Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:35:43 +0000 http://www.goodusability.co.uk/?p=614#comment-168 Well said, David. And it's not just the usability but also the accessibility - why restrict your audience unnecessarily. As you suggest, web-sites are not static things - they have to evolve to reflect the needs of their users and cater for changes in whatever business model they aim to enable. Usability testing is, of course, vitally important - if your customers can't get their heads around your site, they'll go to another that they can. Another useful tool is, of course, <a href="http://www.reynardthomson.com/what-is-prototyping.html">requirements prototyping</a> and I'd argue that anyone who is creating a new functional website, or revising an existing one, should use techniques like this to ensure that the actual design lends itself to meeting user needs ahead of the development phase, and then use continuous usability test integration once the site/product is launched. Regards, John Well said, David. And it’s not just the usability but also the accessibility – why restrict your audience unnecessarily.

As you suggest, web-sites are not static things – they have to evolve to reflect the needs of their users and cater for changes in whatever business model they aim to enable. Usability testing is, of course, vitally important – if your customers can’t get their heads around your site, they’ll go to another that they can.

Another useful tool is, of course, requirements prototyping and I’d argue that anyone who is creating a new functional website, or revising an existing one, should use techniques like this to ensure that the actual design lends itself to meeting user needs ahead of the development phase, and then use continuous usability test integration once the site/product is launched.

Regards,

John

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