mProver - Sample Usability Evaluation

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Analysis Date		January 1, 2003
Web Site URL		http://mproverSample.com/
Web Site Type		E-commerce: products for K-12 school science projects
Target Users		K-12 purchasing agents; science and tech teachers
Critical Tasks		Display online catalog; enable user to order products
Test Suite		Windows 98 / Internet Explorer 5.0 / 56K modem / 13" monitor

Category	Usability Problem		Recommendation
Navigation	Two horizontal and two vertical navigation bars on the home page confuse the user and prevent intuitive navigation. The fact that none of these navigation bars are carried through consistently on the rest of the site pages further disorients the user.		1. On every page of the site use a single navigation bar with the following links: "Home", "Mechanics", "Astronomy", "Electronics", "Customer Service", "Privacy" and "About Us" (see recommendations below about creating new links for Customer Service and About Us).
Navigation	The user is overwhelmed by too many internal links on the home page, which also requires considerable scrolling. Although Technology, Science and Electronics are the three major categories of product offerings, the design does not reflect this clearly.		2. The home page should include a directory of the site's most important sections, not every single product. Provide a route for visitors to get to the content they want without having to read irrelevant information: link the three main categories (Mechanics, Astronomy, Electronics) to individual pages that display their corresponding product offerings. Highlight just a handful of new and/or popular products on the home page.
Navigation	Elementary school products are described separately on the home page, but no reference is made to the fact that the remaining products are apparently geared to middle and/or high schools. Grade levels are not included on the product description pages either.		3. Indicate relevant grade level(s) for every product. When time and resources permit, add a search function by grade level for each of the main catalog categories (Mechanics, Astronomy and Electronics).
Navigation	The site search function only appears on some pages, although the user may be interested in performing a search at any stage of his/her site visit.		4. Include the search function on every page of the site.
Purchase	Although instructions are provided beneath the left navigation bar “Order” link, the actual faxable pdf order form lacks simple, clear instructions on how to complete and submit it.		5. Move the instructions for completing the order form onto the pdf form itself.
Purchase	“Express Order” on the home page links to an explanatory jump page, instead of directly to the online express order form.		6. Save the user a step by deleting the jump page and moving the explanation and instructions to the actual form.
Customer Service	It's unclear to the user how to contact the company regarding customer service issues, making it less likely that he/she will purchase a product in the first place.		7. Add a simple e-mail link from the navigation bar, called "Customer Support", and ensure that all inquiries are answered promptly.
Copy	Other than stating that the company has been manufacturing school products since 1940, there is no information about the company.		8. A firm in business for over half a century but with modest name recognition deserves an "About Us" link, and potential customers of educational products will expect one. The page can include a brief description of the company's history, its industry expertise and a succint mission statement.
Copy	There are two typos on the Order page ("form" instead of "from" and "qauntity" instead of "quantity").		9. Fix both typos immediately. They make your site look sloppy and imply quality assurance negligence that some users may reasonably infer carries over to the products for sale.
Copy	The description under "Return Authorization Policy" is worded awkwardly ("All goods authorized for return must have a return authorization marked outside of the box with a marker").		10. Substitute clearer copy, such as "All goods approved for return require a return authorization number that is clearly marked on the outside of the shipping carton."
Graphic Design	The company logo appears 6 times on the home page, and counting the text, the name of the company appears 14 times. That's overkill.		11. Display the company logo prominently, but preferably only once per page (upper left hand corner is where most users expect to see it). Use regular Arial font wherever the name appears with other text.
Graphic Design	Gray font on a beige background provides inadequate contrast, making it hard for the user to read the screen.		12. Darken the font and/or lighten the background. For maximal usability, black typeface on a white background works best.
Graphic Design	The flashing image on the home page is distracting and inconsistent with the otherwise "studious" atmosphere of the site.		13. Change the flashing graphic to a static image that is both informative and faster to download.
Graphic Design	The order page loads more slowly (over 15 seconds) than many users with a 56K dial-up modem are willing to wait.		14. Compress the jpeg images or replace them with gif images to reduce load time. Speed matters more than looks here (you don't want to lose sales after bringing customers all the way to the order page).

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