Create Better Websites Using Jakob Neilsen Books

Common Website Mistakes - Features To Add/Ignore - Website Usability

When it comes to designing a website from the point of view of Website Usability there is only one name you need to know - Dr. Jakob Neilsen (Ph.D). Forget all the other "so-called" GURUs, Dr. Jakob Neilsen is the real deal. If you have never heard of him then you are in for a very nice surprise!

Dr. Jakob Neilsen has been involved in User Interface and Usability technologies and designs since the early 1990s, which basically means he has studied how humans interact with computer Buttons, Clicks, Links, Navigation, Object Placement (i.e. where pictures and text are placed on the screen) and so on. His website can be found at www.useit.com. It has a great, must-see, section on there called AlertBox.

With the information he collected throughout those studies he then went on to write many books, that include 50 Websites Deconstructed, Eyetracking Web Usability and Prioritizing Web Usability amongst many others. Some of the older information is now freely available, in parts, from his website; Some of which I will be discussing in this section. However, if you really want to read/know more of that very detailed information I recommend you read/buy the books.

Should  You  Have  Scrolling  Pages  Or  Static  Pages?

In this Scrolling-Attention article long web page content is discussed along with content "above the fold" (content that is displayed at the top of a web page, that does not need scrolling to be seen). Some of the disadvantages of using static web pages (one page of content per web page) on a website are also discussed. One statistic shows that 80% of people studied looked at a web page's content "above the fold" but only 20% looked past the fold (scrolled down the web page).

Is  Your  Web  Page  Content  Too  Slow?

In this Website Response Times article the time it takes to load content (i.e. images) is discussed in relation to broadband speed, computer speed, mobile phone devices and human impatience (human behaviour). One statistic shows that people will look past the fold if the web page content "above the fold" is taking too long to display (i.e. if a flash animation is taking to long to display).

Is  Your  Website  Designed  For  Children,  Adults  Or  Both?

In this Usability Issues: Designing For Kids article the statistics show that younger kids tend to need a bigger font size and cannot easily distinguish advertisement content and web page content whereas adults tend to ignore advertisements. The statistics also indicate that kids prefer animations and sounds whereas adults don't like them. One statistic that might surprise you is that kids are more weary about giving out private details whereas adults are more willing to give them out. Another surprise is that kids tend to find websites using bookmarks (links/favorites) whereas adults tend to find them through search engines.

Are  You  Giving  Your  Customers  Too  Much  To  Think  About?

In this Short-Term memory article there is a nice piece about Discount Coupons and the Shopping Cart in relation to short-term memory. It explains quite nicely the scenario of what someone might feel if they do not have a discount coupon - They might be put off from buying because they feel "Why should I pay the full price when I do not have a discount coupon"....."Only those with a discount coupon are favoured" and therefore make them feel as though they are getting a bad deal. This article also delves into the way we think and remember.

Are  You  Getting  Enough  Donations?

In this Donation Usability article there are some fantastic pointers as to why non-profit, and charity, organisations do not receive half as many donations as they would like. Three major reasons are because 1) they do not tell their potential customers how they will use their donations, 2) because they do not use donation pleas through an email newsletter and 3) because they do not say what their organisation is about and what its goals are. In other words, they do too much "Please Donate" begging instead of giving the customer answers and a sense of "Wow, This organisation is worth supporting".

Should  You  Entertain  Social  Networking?

In this Social Networking article Twitter and Facebook, amongst others, usabilities are tested. It gives great guidelines and statistics on how to approach social networking from a business perspective as opposed to a family and friends perspective. It also mentions RSS Feeds usability.

An interested statistic is that many people do not look at past postings, they only look at current (in front of them) postings. A good guideline to follow is the one about Posting Frequency. Post too little and visitors are not interested whereas post too much and they feel pressured. So the balance is to post frequently but more importantly to make your visitors feel as though they are the first to know your news/posts. Remember though, visitors are also greedy and want everything for FREE.

Should  You  Use  A  Sitemap?

In this Sitemap Usability article the statistics show that on average only 7% of people tested used a sitemap. As a guideline you should keep your sitemap plan and simple (not flashy and interactive) whereby your visitors can easily find what they are looking for on the first, and only, page of your sitemap. In other words, they should not have to go hunting for a page link or have to think "how does this sitemap work?".

Some  Benefits  Of  Using  Mega  Drop-Down  Menus?

This short Mega-Menus article demonstrates some of the main advantages to using a Ribbon/Pictorial type of drop-down menu versus a classic text only drop-down menu. It basically gives food for thought. It's one of those articles that make you aware of things you may not of considered before.

Other  Articles  Available

Other articles include - This short IPad Usability,   Mobile Usability,   Information Navigation Mistakes,   About Us Pages,   How Little Visitors Read and 10 Things That Can Make Money.

Although these articles, are more importantly the usability studies mentioned within them, are either current (2010) or slightly dated (i.e 2008) they should be taken as an excellent insight into website design and marketing. And even though they are only article snippets, they do contain plenty of information for you to digest. Moreover, the information given will leave you with a better idea of what to expect, content-wise, from Dr Jakob Neilsen's books.

There are other Usability authors out there but most, if not all of them, would have to agree that they have followed in the footsteps of Dr Jakob Neilsen.

If you are looking for tips on Creating A Contact Form, with usability advice and ideas, you might want to look at this article. And if you are looking for tips and advice about the Contact Us web page you should take a look at this article. These kind of articles can be found by typing "apllication form usability" and "contact us usability" in the search engines. At the end of the day Usability has to come before flashy design for example, so concentrate on your users needs first and not on your money making schemes.