Website Usability Testing Services Carbondale IL

For Christmas last year my dad decided to give my grandfather a truly useful gift: his first mobile phone. It didn't go over so well — Gramps could not decipher the phone's symbolic markings and had trouble managing its tiny buttons. Twenty frustrated minutes later he declared this newfangled doohicky a piece of garbage. Who would waste their money on such a thing?

I couldn't help but appreciate my grandfather's astute assessment. He was absolutely correct. The phone was poorly designed and would not likely see sales above a certain level because of it — the phone had serious usability issues.

Usability has become an important competitive factor in business. The subject usually crops up in the context of website design, but has wide application beyond the web and a proven track record of profitability.

What is usability?

Ironically enough, definitions of usability tend to be saturated in geek-speak so I'll offer my own: Usability is the ease with which a person can operate a tool to accomplish a desired goal. It is key in creating better products and services, regardless of the nature of a given business. The product or service that helps customers accomplish their desired goals most easily inspires repeat business, brand loyalty and brand advocacy.

Many companies have put usability principles to work so successfully that they've risen to a dominant position in their industries. A familiar example from the web is Google.

Author: Paula Hay

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