Web users are everywhere. They come from a wide variety of places, speak thousands of languages, and come from every step on the socio-economic ladder. They are you. They are me. And together, WE make the Web go. We each bring to the table a unique vision of the Web and what is “usable” to us. And that is the best part: No two Web users are alike. Each user experiences the Web in their own way. While one user may look at a site’s home page and see boring text columns and a lack of creative gravitas, another will see a well thought out composition, beautiful in its simplicity. Such dichotomy is a good thing and when we tap into these users and ask for their honest opinions, we can find a whole host of opportunities on how we can better communicate with them through our Web sites.

Web users are honest. Generally, if you ask Web users to give their opinion on how a Web page looks, they’ll be straight, and sometimes brutally honest. Designers can focus too much on the “bells and whistles” of a design. Developers can code too much into a simple application. The hard part is that it isn’t easy to see these flaws from the inside. That’s where usability testing can come into play. (And don’t worry; it doesn’t have to break your budget to do it.) Find a friend, a family member, or just a person sitting next to you at Starbucks. Ask them to take a look at your site and then just let them talk. You’ll find out more in 15 minutes of usability testing than you would’ve imagined:

“I wish this button looked more “clickable”.
“This navigation is confusing. How do I get to the store?”
“I like the design, but why do I have to fill out this form to see more content?”

This kind of feedback is amazingly helpful when you’re looking to improve your site.

I always encourage having a “face-to-face” discussion with the participant while they’re testing as opposed to using an online service. There are a lot of sites out there that offer online usability testing (Usabilla, Open Hallway, etc…). While these sites are able to gather valuable data that you can use, they are disconnected from real interaction. You can’t ask probing questions. You can’t see the participants’ body language or expressions. You can’t physically see the mouse clicks and the time spent on each page. That’s the kind of information that will truly help you.

To conclude, no matter how long you’ve been in the business, Web design and development isn’t easy. Years of studying and real world experience can’t ensure perfect Web usability (if there is such a thing). Taking some time to do even some light usability testing, and it will go a long way to ensuring the profitability of your site and the success of your business.