For any sized organization, creating a website is no small labor. Gathering the content, organizing photos, pulling together testimonials, beefing up the branding: it is a lot of work. Along the line, most clients we work with have an overall idea of what they want from their site. For them, defining their business goals comes very easily. But between the business goals and the implementation of the site an interesting thing starts to happen: Tunnel Vision.

Tunnel Vision is what we see when a customer approaches their website from only their perspective. They know their industry and their products very well, of course. Before you know it, their suggested homepage design is filled with jargon and acronyms. Sometimes they’ll come to us with page after page of detailed text. Sometimes it’s page after page of high-resolution photos. It’s very understandable: they are the Subject Matter Experts and extremely passionate about their work.

However, it is the user who decides if a site is successful. All the search engine optimization in the world won’t help if a user is confused – or doesn’t find the information they need – and quickly bounces out of the site. For this reason, it’s very important to break away from your own perspective and look at your site from your users’ eyes.

Divergent thinking wins the day

device compatibiltyThe first step in planning the usability of a site is to think of all the possible customer use cases. And always remember, for website redesigns it’s important to also start with this step as well. It’s amazing how a site’s user behavior can change in only two years.

So, what are the possible reasons a user will come to your site? All of the possibilities are relationships that a company can benefit from:

  • They are researching your company, and are a potential sales prospect.
  • Students or prospects researching the industry you are in.
  • They are returning customers looking for quick contact information.
  • Your existing customers could be looking for more information on your services.
  • They are a representative of a trade organization.
  • They are automated indexers for directories and search listings.

The second step in planning usability is to consider all the technical aspects at play on your site. Some things to consider:

  • Does your site relay content well for those users who are visual processors, as well as individuals who love to read detailed text?
  • Does it display content well no matter what device the user has, or what kind of Internet connection they have?
  • Can your site maximize the availability of information, for users that have only a quick minute to check your site, as well as users that have all afternoon?
  • What about accessibility? Does your site support all users, including those who might need an automated screen reader for instance?

Considering a user’s perspective of your site does not add much effort to the project. In fact, the investment in planning a design properly upfront is a fraction of the effort needed to reorganize a site after it is launched. Because, in website design, as in the rest of business, the old adage rules:  the customer is always right.

About this post’s photo: this sign is in a lake side park in Kirkland, Washington. The city is, quite assuredly, messaging to all their customers.

 

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