Consulting users is key when creating Web sites

Have you ever gone to a Web site and been unable to find what you wanted?

My pet peeve is Web sites with buried contact information. What's the address and telephone number of the place and what are the hours they're open? You know the information has got to be there, but where is it?

The best way to make sure your Web site is user friendly is to conduct usability tests. It's inexpensive, easy to do and will yield big rewards. After all, you've gone to the trouble of building a Web site. If your audience finds it frustrating and unusable, everybody loses.

Elaina Norlin has become an expert on usability testing. She got into it several years ago when she was working in the library at the University of Arizona. "I was on a team commissioned to redesign the library's Web site. We conducted usability tests as part of the effort, and as a follow-up, I was asked to talk about Web site usability testing at a national library computing conference. Immediately after the talk, an editor from the American Library Association approached me about writing a book, and as they say, the rest is history."

Norlin's book, co-authored by CM! Winters, is titled, "Usability Testing for Library Web Sites: A Hands on Guide." Published in 2001, the book is still a best-seller for ALA. "A lot of people not working in libraries have told me they find the book very useful," Norlin said.

"The common mistake made in Web site construction," Norlin said, "is not including the end user in the process. I'm sure Web site creators have good intentions, but all kinds of mistakes can be made if those for whom the Web site is intended are not consulted while the site is being built. Bring in some volunteers while the site is still sketchy and just ask them to find a few core facts. Work one-on-one with each individual. Ask each volunteer to provide a running commentary while he/she is searching. Take careful notes and be sure not to chide them if they cannot easily find the facts you've requested. After all they are helping you and you don't want to make them feel bad about it."

Norlin noted that Web site developers often become "married" to their Web sites. "They are so pleased and proud and they just can't believe that someone cannot find information when they have thought it all out and painstakingly created this beautiful Web site. That's why it's important to do this early in the process."

"But it's never too late to go back and do some usability testing," Norlin said. "However, you might want to get someone else to ask the questions and conduct the actual test. The developer can sit in the room, silently of course, and take notes but you want to make sure whoever is moderating the test remains neutral."

Christina Johnson, Internet writer at the North Suburban Library System, has taken courses on usability testing and employs these techniques as part of her job. "Between three and seven people is enough for a good test," Johnson said. "I find it helpful to have a script so that I ask the very same questions of each person."

Ian Baaske, Web developer at NSLS, also uses usability testing.

"Really watch what your testers are doing while they are searching as compared to what they say they are doing. Sometimes these are two different things and you will learn from this," Baaske commented.

Listen to my podcast interview with Norlin on this topic at www.sarahlong.org.