Usability entails the general ease of use of all site components and features. Sub-topics beneath the usability banner can include navigation and accessibility. Statements used to measure usability might include:
- The site prevents errors and helps the user recover from them.
- Overall page weight is optimized for the main target audience.
- The site helps its visitors accomplish common goals and tasks.
- The site adheres to its own consistency and standards.
- The site provides content for users with disabilities.
Content
Content refers to the actual content of the site (text, multimedia, images) as well as its structure, or information architecture. We look to see how the information and content are structured in terms of defined user needs and client business requirements. Statements used to measure content can include:
- Link density provides clarity and easy navigation.
- Content is structured in a way that facilitates the achievement of user goals.
- Content is up-to-date and accurate.
- Content is appropriate to customer needs and business goals.
- Content across multiple languages is comprehensive.
In most instances, I use from 10-20 separate statements for each of these four elements. I suggest you use the statements above as a basis for creating your own analysis. Remember that if you add more statements, you must also refine the 20-point scale so that each element"s total score is 100. For example, if you used 10 statements for each element, then your rating scale would be 1-10. If you used 20 statements for each element, your scale would be 1-5.
For a example of this style of analysis download this sample Excel file.
Displaying Your Results
Once you"ve completed your analysis and have values for each of the statements or parameters, it"s time to put this data into a clear, communicative format.
The first thing we want to do is add up all the values for each element. Because we"ve set the point scale to provide with a maximum score of 100 for each element, what we really have is a percentage score. Once we have these percentage values, what I"ve found works best is to create a Spider chart to visually represent them. Microsoft"s Excel or Open Office Calc both work well here, although any spreadsheet program with graphing capabilities will do.
Using your spreadsheet program, you can generate a host of visual representations of the data. See the sample file you downloaded above for more examples.
Get Creative with Your Analysis
The great thing about the analysis and methods described in this article is that they can be catered to your specific client or project needs.
There"s no reason why you couldn"t add a fifth category to the analysis to describe accessibility or business metrics. For example, say you"ve got a government client that needs to adhere to Section 508 regulations (for the U.S.). You could easily create a set of statements or parameters that deal exclusively with the accessibility element, modifying your charts to display accordingly. Likewise, it would be very easy to create a category that deals exclusively with your client"s important business metrics, for example, ROI, click-through rates, conversions, or repeat customers.
Alternatively, this platform of analysis can enable you to add greater weight to particular elements of your choice. Say you have a client who"s a luxury goods manufacturer, and is heavily focused on branding and look and feel. There"s no reason why you couldn"t create a modified measurement system that gave greater weight to the branding elements and less to, say, the usability elements.
Practical Uses
I"ve incorporated this analysis into a number of different projects on which I"ve worked. Often, I include a "quick and dirty" analysis as an appendix to a new client proposal, to provide the prospective clients a snapshot view of where their site stands vis-à-vis the competition.
Providing this kind of review also gives you an excellent chance to display your professionalism. Chances are that other firms bidding on the RFP in question will not include such "free" consulting services -- and your inclusion of this report in your proposal may be a decisive factor in your favor.
In other instances, I"ve had clients pay for an in-depth analysis of their site complete with recommendations. This type of report includes, for each of the statements or parameters, several descriptive paragraphs complete with examples or screen shots. If I"m ultimately hired to follow through on my recommendations, I often schedule another evaluation six months after the launch of the site as a means of showing improvement, while at the same time reinforcing the value of my services.
This type of analysis can also serve as a gateway project that leads to further business. If you price the analysis well, it can be a great tool for getting your foot in the door and showing the new client the benefits of your services.
