Web Site Evaluation
- Defining Web Site Evaluation'Web Site Evaluation' can be defined as the process of determining the usability of a website for its intended audience.
- Evaluation should draw out particularly positive aspects of the site (for reinforcement in its design) and particularly negative aspects of the site (for amendment or correction).
- Defining Web Site Testing'Web Site Testing' is the process of checking that the functionality of a website is as intended.
- Testing covers specific issues such as spelling, grammar, punctuation, whether links are working and that screen layouts are correct.
Uses of Evaluation
- Website evaluation can be used at three stages in the life cycle of a website:
- Preliminary Evaluation
- » Carried out before web site is completed
- » Should reject unsuitable designs
- » Should help prepare shortlist of suitable designs
- » Should aid selection of most appropriate design
- Initial Evaluation
- » Carried out once website is completed and either before/just after it goes live
- » Should identify minor problems
- » Should suggest areas of additional content
- » Should provide indications of possible major changes for the future
- On-going Evaluation
- » Should assist with website design maintenance
- » Should indicate potential changes in content
- » Should assist a decision for major review of site design
The Evaluation Process
- Who does the evaluation? The best evaluation is based on analysis of audience preferences, relying on work with potential and actual users. Such activity is expensive, particularly if users are not geographically accessible. As substitutes, website designers can stand in for users and evaluate the website themselves. Alternatively, other individuals may be recruited to stand in as users.
- What are the methods? Methods of website evaluation rely on eliciting information about the user’s interaction with the website and the user’s reaction to the website. Each of these requires a different method for evaluation.
- Automatic methods:
- » Software recording of the screen display
- » Software recording of user input (mouse/keyboard)
- » Film/tape recording of the user’s actions
- » Human observation is often most effective
- Human observation:
- » Remote human observation
- » Interaction of a human observer with the user
- » Self-completion of a questionnaire by the user
- How to implement? Implementation of the results of the evaluation involves:
- » Collation of data from the evaluation
- » Analysis of the data to draw conclusions
- » Review of the conclusions and decisions on changes to be made
- » Implementation of the changes
