Group items tagged

Tips and blogs for usability

The first rule of usability: "Know thy user" which is my primary job.

The steps we take as conversion optimizers look suspiciously like designers. Each of theses steps can use more data, though:User PersonasJob StoriesUsability TestingAffinity Mapping2x2 AnalysisProblem DefinitionIdeate & CreateMockupsPrototypeValidateOur task is to execute on this with high frequency and make small changes as we go to learn what moves the needle.

Kinds of user tests include Explorative, Assessment and Comparative. The article discusses "Hallway Testing", "Remote Usability Testing", "Expert Reviews", "Paper Prototype Testing", and "Thinking Aloud".

"So what is Cognitive Load? In a nutshell, our working memory is the part of our memory that acts as a buffer for information. It processes information coming in from the world (something we see, hear, touch), and information we've pulled out of long-term memory (the stuff we already know)."

Here is another tool in the arsenal of the Conversion Scientist. PURE: The "Pragmatic Usability Rating by Experts" Who names this stuff?

We often advocate for "stacked" forms vs. multi-column forms. Here is some research that reinforces that. Stacked forms are completed much faster than side-by-side fields.

This is a good overview of design trends from 2016. Not all of these trends are good ideas from a conversion optimization standpoint.

Scroll Animations, Large Thematic Images, Animated Micrinteractions, and Brutalism are probably hurting conversion rates.

The author makes a very important point: "this sort of experiment requires thorough research and in many cases the final result comes via several iterations tested and analyzed in terms of usability and visual perception."

Testing is part science, part art, part perseverence. Here is a comprehensive list of resources for the new and experienced alike.

Get an Eye-Tracking study of your site cheap.

Many have contemplated the counter-intuitive ability of "ugly" sites to win huge market share - think eBay.com, Amazon.com, DrudgeReport.com, PlentyofFish.com, CraigsList.org, MySpace.com, or usability expert Jakob Nielsen's Useit.com.

If conversion is important, think twice before letting your designer drop stock photos of pretty people onto your site.

Great reading list for any Conversion Scientist

Now here's a very interesting resource on building Web sites with credibility.

I reviewed 47 wordpress templates for a competition earlier this year. 98% of them used a "flat" design approach. Of course, we're seeing this style of design pervade websites.

Is this a good thing? Nielsen Norman Group says we can use flat designs if we follow some smart guidelines.