From the monthly archives:

July 2009

3 Tips to Improve Website Usability

by Colette Mason

Check your site navigation, the ratio of adverts to useful content and use different browsers to identify usability problems.

Navigation
Do visitors find your site easy to navigate? A common mistake that website owners make is to assume their site is easy to navigate, without realizing that they designed the site  around their own needs and then spent a lot [...]

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2 Minute Review: www.oyster.com

by Colette Mason

Oyster.com posted on twitter they would like some usability feedback on their website, so here’s a free 2 minute review. Thanks to the site owner for giving us an opportunity to learn together

The site looks nice enough but it’s not really clear where to start
All the screen elements have almost the same prominence [...]

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Checkout a usability checklist to see if your site makes the grade

by Colette Mason

Checklists help inexperienced  site owners evaluate their website usability quickly.
@IATV spotted a 25 point checklist on usability website, www.usereffect.com, which helps site owners do an impartial review.
Dr. Peter J. Meyers, a former start-up executive, cognitive psychologist, and lifelong programmer came up with the list.
The checklist covers four main topics and provides some notes to help you evaluate your [...]

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Process subscription requests quickly

by Colette Mason

Websites that are slow to process subscription payments frustrate users.
I paid for a subscription to a website yesterday sending the money over by PayPal.
I got what looked like the usual email confirmation through. I expected to be able to  follow a link in the email and get to the members content immediately.
Alas, there was an [...]

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How to Choose an Effective Domain Name

by Colette Mason

Meaningful, short and simple domain names work well. Avoid complicated and confusing wording for your users.
Registering domain can be a tricky process, trying to find something that has not been registered already, but still has some relevance and meaning to your audience can seem daunting.
These tips will help you make a good choice for your domain [...]

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