What is Usability?
Essentially, it is something's ease of use. You can talk about the "usability" of a chair, for instance. If it's missing a leg, guess what? Not particularly usable.
People spend millions of dollars on usability testing for their websites and web tools each year, but you can get excellent information by asking a few people a few simple questions about your website.
Do a Fast, Free Usability Test on Your Website
Determine four or five things you really want to know if people can find on your website, such as:
- How do I make an appointment?
- How do I apply for residency?
- How do I find your building?
- How do I donate money to your organization?
- What is the latest research in this field?
Then, find three or four people nearby who have never used your website before. Sit them in front of a computer and ask them each question. Without any coaching whatsoever, watch them try to find out the answer. You can start them on the home page of your website or on google.com depending on what question you are trying to answer. You can ask them to talk through what they are thinking and clicking on, and record them if you like.
No Coaching
Remember not to coach your usability testers in any way. If they can't find it, it's a problem with your website, not your testers. If they accomplish the task in relatively short order, guess what? Your site passed a usability test!
You will be amazed at how helpful this can be. You see your website every day and know where every link is, but why not see what other people can do? Maybe you'll discover a quick and easy fix that will make your site better immediately.
Read more about usability from the Usability Guru.