Web Site Usability Report of Ultradent - Case Study Example

due: WEB SITE USABILITY REPORT A web site, also written as website is a set of interconnected web pages served from a single web domain. Because of the increased digital technology all over the world, many companies are creating websites to meet the needs of the new and changing market needs. Web designers are therefore performing the task of designing these websites according to the demands of multiple companies worldwide. Designing can be defined as a process of generating ideas and coming up with ways of converting these potential ideas into a reality Web design therefore is the process of creating websites. It generally consists of web page layouts, content productions and graphic design. They are created using a markup language known as HTML, which are thus displayed in the World Wide Web. Bearing this in mind, no websites is equal to the other. This is because web design literacy is a rarely taught subject and we might not have the awareness of how website design should be or the correct understanding of what a standard website should have. This can therefore affect how a customer may use a particular website or what even makes a good site or a bad site for that matter. In order to ensure that a web site is good several aspects of any particular website need to be scrutinized and all the features have to be comprehensively analyzed. I have decided to pick your company for analysis so that to identify the weak points and the strengths and in that line make decisions on where we need to make appropriate changes. My company of choice is www.ultradent.com a product company based in Utah in the United States of America. This site has a generally good basic design and usability. It has been segmented into four parts as follows: 1.0 Accessibility. The site load time is interestingly very fast and time convenient for the visitors. It only takes less than a few microseconds to load a web page using a desktop computer. That is the site load time can be rated as reasonable. The site has adequate text to background contrast. This can be easily identified as the text runs all the way downwards covered with adequate background contrast. Apparently, the spacing and font size is good. It is easy to read and this is very important for the visitors of this site do not need to strain their eyes out to read what is in the website. On the other hand however flash and ADD-ONS are not used sparingly in this site as recommended. Something needs to be done to ensure that this feature is incorporated in this website. In this site, images have appropriate ATL tags. Basically, this is an HTML attribute that is specified in what we call the IMG tag to give us alternate text when an image on a web page cannot be displayed. Lastly, the site lacks a custom-not-found/404 page. This HTTP standard response code is used to indicate that a specified client or visitor was able to enter and communicate with a server but the server could not find what was requested. 2.0 Identity: The company logo is not prominently placed. In fact, the company does not have a logo. Besides the logo, the tagline does not portray the company’s purpose clearly. These two areas need to be addressed adequately so that to improve this website. The home package is digestible in five seconds. This is because all the areas pertaining this website are highlighted in the home package. This can be rated as good. Similarly, there is a clear path to company information, though this section needs to be redressed so that to make it more specific with the finest details as required. The company information is found in the ‘about us’ icon. Lastly, there is a clear path to contact information. This is clearly indicated at the bottom of the site where all details and contact information are clearly provided. 3.0 Navigation: The main navigation is easily and completely identifiable. It is located on the left side of the desktop computer. This is an important feature as it indicates the site length. Navigation labels are clear and concise. The navigation through this website is expressing much in a few words. It is also clear. Thus, it is okay concerning this aspect. The number of buttons and links is reasonable. The buttons are well placed and of a reasonable amount. The links are moderately placed throughout the entire website and this is a strength. As pointed out earlier this website has not provided its company logo. The logo is therefore not linked to the home page. It therefore needs to provide its logo. Links are consistent and easy to identify. The links are well distributed throughout the site. Some of them are represented or linked to pictures and this is a strength on the side of the company. Finally, the site search is easy to access. It is located at the top of the site where the web visitors are required to enter their queries. 4.0 Content: The major headings are clear and descriptive. The headings are well interconnected and properly spaced. There is no much to talk about headings, since they are properly arranged. Critical content is above the fold. The important page contents are prioritized for the purpose of page speed. The fold can be seen as an imaginary line where the bottom of a screen cuts off the page. The style and colors are consistent. Colors play a vitally important role in our world. It is said that color can sway thinking, change actions and even cause reactions to people. The more consistent your site is the more likely the visitors will become pleased and become regular visitors. This site has emphasis used sparingly throughout the website. Bold letters have been used considerably well and this is a strength. The ADDS ON and pop up sounds are unobtrusive in the site. They are nicely integrated in the site. This makes the site to look more appealing and presentable. The main copy is concise and explanatory. The home page is easy to comprehend hence self-explanatory. There are no hard vocabulary or jargon words that can distract the client’s attention. URLs are meaningful and user friendly. They are generally descriptive in this site and therefore user friendly. Finally, HTML page titles are explanatory. The page titles (in the tags) are descriptive, unique and not jammed full of keywords. The page titles are the first thing that the visitors in this site see before they go to anything else. This 25-point website usability checklist was used to bring out a concise and digestible list of things that are necessary for usability in your website. It was used to analyze all the dimensions of your site everywhere and if well followed it will prepare your site for better results for your company. Work cited Usability report based on the analysis of http://www.ultradent.com retrieved on 26 Feb 2014 Read More