Posted on Mon, Mar 30, 2009
I recently watched an American Marketing Association webcast about website usability. An interesting point was made:
If having a Flash animation does not improve conversion rates, is it really needed?
It’s a great point – and one with which a usability purist might agree. However, I’m all about integrating good, professional looking design with usability so my viewpoint is a little different.
Careful use of Flash can result in vibrant and slick looking websites – it can make an organization stand out from the crowd. If the Flash piece does not interfere with the user completing their desired action, then shouldn’t the question really be:
If having Flash animation does not interfere with conversion rates, is there any need not to keep it?
Of course, this isn’t a black and white matter. Here, we are assuming that conversion=good usability, which isn’t necessarily correct. I’ve bought products online from nasty websites (i.e. very unusable) before – I’m still counted as a conversion despite the my poor usability experience (I haven’t returned to half of those websites, though).
To add more gray/grey to the issue – when designing for usabilty, there must be goals for the website (e.g get people to sign up for service). Each part of the website needs to be assessed as to how it contributes to the goals.
The purpose of Flash needs to defined.
- Does Flash execute core functionality of the website – if so, how does this affect users who may not have the latest version of Flash or who are viewing on mobile devices?
- Is the purpose of Flash to compliment the design – is Flash nothing more than a tool to make the site look good?
- Is the purpose of Flash to grab attention – is it being used to divert the user to an important feature of the website?
There is more to defining the role of Flash than that, and the “correct” answer varies by industry, audience and website goal. Of course, the only true way to answer the Flash/No Flash debate is to conduct user testing. Asking typical users of your website about their experience should ultimately help you settle the argument. If they don’t like it, cut it.
What do you think?
Posted on Wed, Mar 25, 2009
Usability is all about enabling the user to what he or she wants to do easily, quickly and with confidence. This applies to any medium, including automated telephone lines.
Over the last few months, I’ve noticed an increase in telephone usability faux pas, and I am sure you guys have had your own frustrating experiences with telephone menus. Here are a few of my usability no-no’s:
- “Please tell me what you want to do” - Don’t rely on voice-only driven systems. If you are in a loud environment or possess any hint of an accent, the telephone system will not understand you. Always give a keypad alternative. Please.
- Don’t ask unanswerable questions - Obvious, right? Yesterday I was asked, “Are you calling about product A or product B? Please say yes or no.” Am I saying “yes” to product A or product B? That’s confusing.
- Don’t make user repeat themselves – This is probably one of my biggest gripes. The automated system will ask the user to input account numbers, verification details, etc, only to be delivered to an operator who asks the exact same questions. Couldn’t we have just removed one of these components to make the process move along more quickly?
What irks you?