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Does Your Site Work? A web site audit can tell you.
Recently we were meeting with other “industry people” and they talked about heuristic evaluation. In the context of the conversation, I understood what they meant. I’ve also come across the phrase in industry publications, but I’ve never heard anyone actually use the term in conversation. And I got to wondering why. Maybe it’s because the phrase is cumbersome or maybe it’s because I can’t spell the word heuristic. Officially, “an heuristic evaluation is a usability testing method that helps to identify usability problems in a user interface (UI) design. The main goal of heuristic evaluations is to identify any problems associated with the design of user interfaces. Heuristic evaluations are one of the most informal method of usability inspection.” (wikipedia.com) Sounds really sophisticated, but it’s not. Simply put, it means experts in the field use industry standards to evaluate how well people can use a web site. It’s a rigorous but informal process, so here at NPAdvisors, we incorporate this exercise into a web site audit. A much less formal name, don’t you think? A full web site audit encompasses much more than the heuristic evaluation. However, as a major component during a web site audit, NPA will look at the facets of your site and determine what is working well and what is not – according to your audiences’ needs and your organization’s strategic goals. So, if your goal for the site is to fund raise, we’ll make sure that a.) a potential donor can easily find your site; A web site audit is often done on a site that has morphed over the years and contains both very popular features and those that could be eliminated. An audit allows your organization to identify the positive aspects of the site, while noting areas for growth. It ensures that the web site meets the needs of existing constituencies of your organization, including prospective donors, volunteers, advocates, the press, government agencies, foundations, corporate partners, board and trustee members. So, before you consider a redesign or a new content management system, ask us about a web site audit. We could call it a heuristic evaluation, but nobody would Google that! August 2005 | ||
