Wiliam Blog Online Usability Web Development | Wiliam Web Design Sydney Australia

So close and yet so far... why a small user experience issue on My Special K ended the love affair (0)

Robert Beerworth | 21/01/2013

An example of poor usability… and a missed usability opportunity.

tags: Usability , Web Design

Checkout design for eCommerce (0)

Anna Hosie | 14/01/2013

So what are the best UX design practices for the eCommerce checkout process?

tags: User Experience , Usability

How big should you make your buttons for touch? (0)

Queron Jephcott | 11/01/2013

Targets are anything a user has to click; links, buttons, checkboxes, form fields, etc…

tags: Online Trends , Usability

Motivation will beat incentive and and value every time (0)

Robert Beerworth | 16/08/2012

Getting people to the end-goal of your website is a science, with a dash of art; a dash of incentive, a pinch of value and a good helping of motivation should keep the bitterness of anxiety and the saltiness of friction away.

tags: Usability

‘I’m searching for…’ 7 tips for site Search UX design (0)

Anna Hosie | 16/08/2012

Around a third of customers on an eCommerce site will use the Search box so it’s important we make it easy to find and easy to use.

tags: Usability

Positive Reinforcement for Users (0)

Anda Damian | 18/07/2012

All well designed websites have some form of error notification, letting the users know something that they have done is incorrect, but how many websites give users a pat on the back for doing something right? Not too many.

tags: Usability

Tablets and Video Are A Good Fit (0)

Bess Batterham | 18/06/2012

Browsing websites on tablets continues to grow. And grow. And grow.

tags: Usability , Mobile Web

The performance of eCommerce: optimising your eCommerce website for speed (1)

Jason Deacon | 10/04/2012

When many traditional businesses start the process of getting a website up and running which allows customers to purchase their products they start with what I refer to as the ‘Grand Illusion’.

tags: e-commerce , MVC , Usability , User Experience , Performance , Webforms

Is your Website ready for Mum 2.0? (0)

Leo Romano | 7/12/2011

Between 2009 and 2011 Mums in the US have almost tripled their mobile internet usage from 22% to 62%.

tags: Usability , Online Marketing

Shopping cart abandonment and tips to avoid it (0)

Robert Beerworth | 27/10/2011

100 customers come to buy a pram on your website. 3 do. Where did the rest go and how many left in the cart process? (Statistically, 75% of people in the cart process bailed from it.)

tags: e-commerce , Usability

Introducing Develop My Skills (0)

Robert Beerworth | 25/10/2011

We’ve just launch the Develop My Skills website and the end-result is excellent. A really good looking and intuitive website with some clever user-targeting functions to improve leads to the business.

tags: Technology , Usability

Mobile matters in retail (0)

Robert Beerworth | 30/09/2011

If you are not considering mobile as part of your retail strategy, you’re really going to kick yourself if due course.

tags: Mobile Web , Usability

The pros and cons of online usability testing (0)

Mike Hall | 12/09/2011

Weighing up the pros and cons of online usability testing.

tags: Usability , Web Strategy

Designing websites for young people (0)

Stuart Horton-Stephens | 28/07/2011

At my house we have a computer which is usually taken over by my 6 and 9 year old children. And don’t think they are using Microsoft paint to tirelessly waste away their youth, no! These kids, and all their school friends, are spending time on hugely rich web experiences from interactive games through to social networking sites all geared towards their age group

tags: Usability , Web Design

Ecommerce Sites That Suck (0)

Mike Hall | 18/07/2011

I recently bought some LED light bulbs from an ecommerce site in the UK and had the single most painful online shopping experience of my life!

tags: Issues , Usability

Transaction reference numbers increase usability (1)

Queron Jephcott | 23/03/2011

I titled this blog so blatantly because it sounds like an oxymoron. A huge alphanumeric jumble of characters and the notion of increasing the usability of a web site doesn’t sound right.

tags: Information Architecture , Web Design , Usability

Believe what you see, not what you read (0)

Mike Hall | 23/03/2011

Far too often, people settle for expert analysis and predictions from their web site developers and why not? Your web designers have been around for X years and the guy designing it has 10+ years experience creating websites, so surely they know what they’re doing, right? Wrong!

tags: User Testing , Usability , Information Architecture

Cross-browser Testing (1)

Andrew O'Sullivan | 2/03/2011

Cross-browser testing remains a reality to ensure your audience enjoys a consistent experience.

tags: Web Design , Web Development , Usability

Card Sorting – How it works today (0)

Peter Moloney | 19/11/2010

Card sorting is a key technique in the information architecture toolbox.

tags: Information Architecture , Usability

The power of strong visual design combined with usability (0)

Eddie Gallagher | 19/10/2010

The difference between online success and failure is rather fine. This article explores the brilliant case study of Mint VS Wesabe and how one managed to outsmart the other through strong web design and a usability focus.

tags: Web Design , Usability

Effective use of white space in web design (0)

Mike Hall | 19/10/2010

White space can be your best and worst enemy. Too little and the page looks crowded and confusing, too much and the individual content elements look lost and disassociated with each other.

tags: Usability , Information Architecture

Can your visitors really see your page? (0)

Robert Beerworth | 19/10/2010

In this age of high-resolution monitors – for designing and viewing websites – surely we have more room to design? Not yet.

tags: Web Design , Usability

Seven plus or minus 2 - Helping people process your website (0)

Peter Moloney | 14/09/2010

With few exceptions, web information architects generally structure website information with the rule of “seven plus or minus two” in mind. This is designed to help break content into readable, usable and easy to digest chunks.

tags: Usability , User Experience

How does colour affect purchases? (0)

Alex Wilson | 9/09/2010

Online shopping is the art of persuasion, it is the art of convincing a visitor that they should part with their hard earned money and purchase what you are selling. We look at the role colour plays in this process.

tags: Usability , User Experience

A small discussion on user research & testing (0)

| 2/06/2010

his week, Wiliam is making a presentation to the students of Billy Blue School of Design to help explain the importance of user testing and user research. In the presentation we used the subheadings ‘why, who, what and how’ in regards to implementing user research and testing.

tags: Usability , Information Architecture

Who Do You Test in User Testing? (0)

| 12/05/2010

When it comes to web design, usability testing is very important. Whether it is in pre-production, during production or looking at the final product, user testing can help make small but big changes to how your target audience views and uses your site.

tags: Usability

Adding the right touch - understanding touchscreen design (0)

| 5/05/2010

Designing a touchscreen application is much different to how you would design a website.

tags: Usability

Well lit paths (0)

Mike Hall | 3/05/2010

Well lit paths are exactly what they sound like, an easy to follow path to a specific goal.

tags: Usability

Why user test? (0)

Mike Hall | 16/03/2010

Web usability testing is highly important in ensuring your site works with your users. To truly test the site's usability it is more functional to do this after your site is finished to address common problems.

tags: Usability

Australia’s first AAA Accessible website (0)

Mike Hall | 13/01/2010

Wiliam have recently redeveloped and launched the new Guide Dogs NSW website, Australia’s first AAA accessible website.

tags: Information Architecture , Usability

The use of colour online (0)

Mike Hall | 28/10/2009

The importance of the use of colour on the web is often overlooked. Colour plays a vital role in conveying both information and feeling. The colours used in a website design can either make or break a website design.

tags: Web Design , Web Marketing , User Experience , Usability

Content Translation: Human vs. Online (0)

Emily Berry | 22/09/2009

Whether your content is being translated into Chinese, Arabic or French you need to make sure – are you sending the right message?

tags: Common Sense , Issues , Usability

Producing Effective Menus (0)

Mike Hall | 21/09/2009

When designing a website it is important to try to provide as much visual support and context as possible to help orient users and to minimize the disruptive effects of jumping from one place to another whilst trying to find something.

tags: Web Design , SEO , Usability , Tips & Tricks

Where Does Your Website Lead Users? (0)

Daniel Wright | 14/09/2009

It’s a little understood fact but every website leads its users somewhere. Unfortunately because of this lack of understanding, many websites accidentally lead users to search for another website.

tags: Web Design , Usability , Information Architecture

Links Scents (0)

Mike Hall | 8/09/2009

When trying to accomplish their site goals, users tend to follow a "scent" and when they lose the scent, they fall into unpredictable behaviours, such as randomly clicking on links or hitting the back button.

tags: Web Design , Usability , User Testing

Get To Know Your Competitors, They Could Be Your Best Friends (0)

James Hinton | 20/08/2009

When I chat to people about getting a new site built, one of the first questions I ask is: who are your competitors and what are they doing online?

tags: Business , Usability , Web Strategy , Tips & Tricks

6 Key Points For Successful User Testing (0)

James Hinton | 18/08/2009

One of the best ways to understand how your site is being used is through user testing. There is no better way to see how your site is performing and how people are actually using it than to study real users. Below are some key points to ensuring you get the most out of testing your site.

tags: Usability , User Testing

Free Axure Design Patterns (4)

Roslyn Zolandor | 18/08/2009

The main tool we use within our user experience (UX) team is an application called Axure. It allows us to create wireframes, prototypes and specifications for our clients before we start the design and development stages. Here are 4 great Axure design patterns for you to download for free.

tags: Web Design , Usability , Information Architecture , Tips & Tricks

Good Design & Usability Shouldn’t Stop At The Home Page (0)

Roslyn Zolandor | 17/08/2009

Your website is on a job interview to first time visitors. Like a job interview where you will be judged firstly on your appearance than on your interaction the same goes for your website.

tags: Usability , Web Design

Identifying Your Customers and Their Needs (0)

Emily Berry | 5/08/2009

Too often when our clients come to us we hear about disagreements between departments about who thinks what should be on your new website. While the needs of the different departments within your business should be carefully considered, don’t forget to pay attention to the most important and valuable part of your online audience - your customers.

tags: Web Design , Web Development , Usability

Building & Marketing Websites to Women (0)

Alex Wilson | 17/07/2009

Women control over 80% of the household spend - I hope you have factored this in to your web development and online marketing strategy.

tags: Online Marketing , Usability , Online Trends

Content Managed Flash (0)

Adam Tedeschi | 13/07/2009

Flash technology has gone through many stages of popularity during its relatively short life.

tags: Usability , Web Development , Flash Animation

You Can’t Use What You Can’t Find – The Importance of Good Navigation Design (0)

Eddie Gallagher | 3/07/2009

Well constructed, easy to use navigation is of the utmost importance when establishing integrity, authority, and trust in your website .Navigation conveys the scope and character of what your site contains and offers, it gives your site clarity and helps set user expectations early on. To my eyes (I’m a UI designer), good navigation design represents the absolute corner stone of good web design, if you don’t get it right, it doesn’t matter how pretty or how much cutting edge technology it harnesses, your site will ultimately fail.

tags: Web Design , Usability

Not Always the Homepage (0)

Benjamin Christie | 21/05/2009

During a pitch meeting last week, the client who we were pitching for was shocked that not everyone who arrives to their websites comes via the homepage.

tags: Web Design , Search , Usability

Online Price Comparison (0)

Emily Berry | 1/04/2009

With businesses, individuals and families beginning to feel the pinch of the economic downturn, we are finding it increasingly important to look for the best possible deals and prices. Whether it is a few dollars saving on the weekly grocery bill or a few hundred dollars on a new washing machine – every dollar counts. We also want to buy from a retailer who is reputable and who will be around long after the purchase.

tags: Usability , Online Marketing , e-commerce , Sales

Five Critical Steps to Keeping Your Business Open in a Bad Economy (0)

Daniel Nelson | 4/02/2009

No matter which industry you’re in you are probably feeling the effects of the current economic downturn. If the experts are correct then the worse is yet to come and not all business will survive. If you want to protect your online business, here are five critical areas to address as quickly as possible.

tags: Business , Web Marketing , Usability , Online Marketing , Web Strategy

Benefits of Live Support (0)

Gillian Lindsay | 2/02/2009

The Internet grows each day, bringing a continual stream of new competitors to the market. With so many available options, you will need to provide your potential customers with as many reasons to choose your e-commerce site as possible. The level of customer service you offer can make the difference between soaring sales or users that run to your competition.

tags: e-commerce , Usability , Web Strategy , Business

How Should Outbound Links Function (0)

Gillian Lindsay | 20/01/2009

There’s a good chance your website contains at least one outbound link. If so, you have probably debated whether or not this link should open in a new browser window. There are several logical reasons why this may seem like a good option

tags: Usability , Website Accessibility , Web Design , Web Development

Five Tips for Usability in Your Checkout Process (0)

Roslyn Zolandor | 24/12/2008

You may think you’re home free once a user clicks on the button to begin the checkout process. Too often, usability issues in your final process may cause potential buyers to back out of the deal. Here are five tips to help ensure your users will complete the sale successfully...

tags: e-commerce , Usability , Web Design , Business

Ten Things Every E-commerce Site Needs (0)

Benjamin Christie | 24/12/2008

Ten things that all e-commerce sites need to look for to make selling the goods on offered as easy as possible.

tags: e-commerce , Business , Web Design , Usability

Planning Your Website’s Display Resolution (0)

Hamish Stead | 22/12/2008

800X600 has been the safe standard for many years. Statistics now show almost all users with resolutions of 1024X768 or higher. Some statistics even show a majority of users at this resolution as early as January, 2004. But does this trend automatically mean you should develop your site in 1024X768?

tags: Web Design , Usability , Online Trends , Technology

Confirm Your Site’s Availability with a Site Monitoring Service (0)

Gillian Lindsay | 17/12/2008

You’ve invested time, money and numerous other resources to ensure your website is profitable. Have you taken all the necessary steps to protect your investment?

tags: Technology , Web Strategy , Usability

The Importance of User Testing (0)

Patrick Wong | 30/10/2008

In most cases you will spend a great deal of time testing various technical aspects of your site before it is available to the public. You will ensure the navigation functions, forms submit correctly, and the site behaves correctly on all browsers. While this is an excellent start, this approach neglects a critical variable: your users. Do you know the types of users your site attracts? If so, do you understand how these users expect to interact with your site?

tags: Web Development , Web Design , Usability

Accessibility and Your Website (0)

Mike Hall | 8/10/2008

Accessibility addresses the ways people with disabilities interact with your website, whether visually, physically, or mentally impaired, all users should be able to navigate, understand and interact with your site. Here are some compelling reasons why your website should be meet accessibility standards.

tags: Website Accessibility , Usability , Web Design , Web Strategy

User Centered Design and Your Website (0)

Mike Hall | 7/10/2008

Are you familiar with User Centered Design? If not, the concept is nearly as straight forward as it sounds. A User Centered Design method strives to involve the users in the development of a product as early and as often as possible. The goal is to produce something highly usable, ensuring a good user experience.

tags: Online Trends , Web Design , Usability

Empowering Visually Impaired Users Online (0)

Mike Hall | 1/10/2008

Many of us take for granted the ability to navigate websites online, but have you ever wondered how a vision impaired person experiences the internet?

tags: Web Design , Usability , Website Accessibility

Refreshing Your Website Design (1)

| 17/09/2008

Have you reviewed your web site lately? If your site is at least a year old you may want to consider updating the design of your site. There are several reasons to consider an update:

tags: Business , Web Design , Web Development , CSS , Usability

Online Marketing for Christmas (0)

| 16/09/2008

Online sales during the Christmas season have increased significantly from year to year. Unfortunately, so have the number of competitors. Have you developed a plan to stand out from the crowd? If not, now is the perfect time to design and implement your online strategy.

tags: SEO , Usability , Online Marketing , CRM , Business

Decluttering Your Website – When Having it All is Too Much. (0)

| 2/07/2008

One of the biggest problems customers can face with designing their website is the desire to have it all. From LinkedIn and Facebook profiles to Twitter updates and photo streams, employee blogs and charity microsites. The result is sometimes a cluttered jumble that doesn’t resonate with the online audience – in fact, it can drive them – and their business - away.

tags: Web 2.0 , Web Design , Technology , Usability

Conversion Rate Optimization – How to increase Conversion Rate, Sales & Leads (0)

David Cheng | 20/06/2008

A recent meeting with Google Australia has revealed vital insights into the capabilities of Google Adwords in analysis and optimization. Websites for all businesses should be treated as an investment. Like any investment, its continuous maintenance & evaluation can help it grow and mature; with the ultimate aim to achieve 100% conversion rate.

tags: SEO , Web Development , Web Development , Web Design , Usability , Business

Google AdWords: Quality vs Big Wallet (0)

Patrick Wong | 19/06/2008

Ever wondered how Google AdWords works out which position your ads will get and how much CPC you pay for that position? Is it the one with the biggest wallet that comes first? In some circumstances you can pay less than the competitors for a keyword and still have your ad rank higher in paid search. See this happens below.

tags: SEO , SEM , Usability , Search , Search

Increasing pages per visit (0)

| 3/06/2008

What is the current goal of your website? For some, it is to increase the conversion rate. For websites that sell advertising on a CPM (Click Per Thousand) basis, the goal is to increase the number of impressions per user.

tags: Search Engine Optimisation Sydney , Usability , Issues

Getting the word out; SEO for PDF Files (0)

| 16/05/2008

A great way to add value to your customer’s visits to your website is to offer content in the form of .PDF files. The acronym stands for “Portable Document Format” and represents an Adobe PostScript file.

tags: SEO , Usability

Google Mini Search (0)

| 23/04/2008

Search is important on the Internet, shouldn’t it be important on your website or intranet? The Google Mini has been deployed on a wide range of websites built by Wiliam providing the best search in the world.

tags: Search , Usability , Technology