As my 14-year-old turns 15 this week, I begin to fear for humanity.
Why? Two words: Learner’s Permit.
Last night he was “studying” the different road signs that he’ll need to know for his test and commented on how easy this was going to be. I chuckled, thinking to myself, “Wait until he gets to the rules of the road part. This isn’t like the video games where you get points for crashing into things.”
Then I took a look at the signs he was studying, and he was right about how easy they were to understand. But that’s the point I suppose – make them easy enough for a 5th grader to understand, even though drivers from 16 to 90 will be the ones reading them. The ease of comprehension is by design because you are only meant to look at the sign for a split second.
It reminded me of what is wrong with so many Web sites I visit. Little thought has gone into how much effort I, the user, will need to put in to comprehend the main point or to achieve my goal. These sites are designed, most of the time, to make sense to the designer alone and not to the end users. Why? Mostly because it’s easier, and most small businesses can’t afford extensive usability testing.
But here is a fast (and FREE) way to test your Web site to see if you are getting your point across:
EXERCISE: THE 5-SECOND DRILL
- Find a willing volunteer – preferably someone unfamiliar with your Web site or even your business.
- Show them a blank screen with your Web page minimized. Tell them you would like their first impressions of the page and then show it to them.
- Count to 5 in your head and then minimize the page again.
- Ask your volunteer what they remember from the page, and maybe what they thought they might click on first.
If they have a hard time answering either question, you might have some work to do. Web users have extremely short attention spans, so like the road signs, your Web page should get the point across in as little time as possible. Try to explain it like you might to a 5th grader, and use as many visual elements (including video) as possible.
You could also have your competition’s site ready to go during the same exercise to see how you stack up, but don’t limit yourself to your own industry. Try to find industry leaders like Apple, Dell, or GE to draw inspiration from and try the test with them.
I’ve found other useful ideas here:
Good luck and happy testing!
(And if you see a silver Ford truck headed your way, turn and run the other way!)
Chris M.
Sr. Marketing Manager, Web Strategy
Sage
Message Edited by ChrisM on 01-27-2009 03:37 PM
MikeS
on:
When Silence Speaks Volumes
AndreaM
on:
“Hello, may I please speak with Oprah?”
