How To Make Online Software Instantly Usable

And Effective

Usability ● “Usability affects how

customers perceive and respond to products, services, and artifacts of all types, including websites and applications” (Gartner)

● How easy the software is to use in order to effectively serve a user’s needs

Usability’s Effect On Software Success● Good usability is a must for

software● When shopping for software,

usability is high on the list of customers’ desires

● The software must be intuitive, satisfying to use, and efficient

Testing and Re-Testing● Designing software based on

user needs is highly dependent on testing what users enjoy and what they do not

● Re-testing the product is also integral to gauge how effective the changes were

5 Steps To Effective Usability1. Concise Content- Readers do not

respond well to non-essential information. Stick with common words and phrases, and keep paragraphs as short as possible

2. Quick Clicks- Ensure all hyperlinks and pages function properly. Indicate which hyperlinks have already been pressed in order to accelerate repetitive processes

...continued3. Swift Scanning- Help readers scan your site by listing information by relevance, with the most important information in large font and listed at the top of the page

4. Sufficient Spacing- Test which spacing (both between letters, paragraphs, and pages) and fonts readers respond best to

5. Deliberate Diagrams- When possible, incorporate visuals to replace words and content. This will increase interest and in turn, usability

Usability Tools● Online Guidance-

When users need immediate assistance completing a task, step-by-step walk-throughs guide the user through every step of the process

...continued● Card Sorting- to understand user desires and

expectations, have participants organize topic cards into categories they think make most sense and use that information when designing the software

● Live Chat- Communicating directly with users online can improve user satisfaction with the company and the usability of the software

● Mobile- mobile applications can enable experts to track their website’s user interactions and behaviors

For more ways on improving software usability, visit the 'UX Motel' and download

the free white paper "How To Make Your Online Software Instantly Usable And

Effective"