What is Usability?

By usability we understand the quality of use experienced by the user when interacting with technical systems, for example a website. In such cases, we also simply speak of the usability of a page. It should be as intuitive and simple to use as possible and should be able to be adapted to the various user needs

What to pay attention to in terms of usability

When we talk about usability on the Internet, we are usually talking about the best possible usability of websites. This means, for example, that the site should adapt completely to the visitor and not vice versa. The easier a user can achieve his desired goals, the better the usability and the more likely it is that the visitor is satisfied. A high level of usability is usually hardly noticed, the user simply lingers with a good feeling on the website in question, most likely becomes a paying customer and at best recommends it even further. A low usability, on the other hand, is immediately noticed negatively and leads to high bounce rates. It is therefore essential that especially the navigation is logical, mature and comfortable. If the website is self-explanatory and any operating errors can be easily reversed by the visitor, then the site also scores in terms of usability. On the other hand, if, for example, icons are not labeled, the search functionality is poor or the controls are inconsistent, then we have negative usability. The result is confusion, frustration and impatience – and the visitor leaves the website again. Of course, the webmaster should absolutely avoid this, because the competition is often only one or two clicks away. The synonyms usability, user-friendliness or usability have also become established for the English term, which all express very nicely what usability is all about

Usability is also important for ranking

Since Google & Co. also want the best possible usability of websites for visitors, usability is also one of the most important ranking factors – and this (as well as the user experience) will become increasingly important in the future. Usability always also means, as developers, to think primarily from the users point of view. The use of offers must be as easy as possible for the user to understand and, of course, always bring real added value. If the desired content or products or services cannot be found by users with just a few clicks, then the operator of the site has done something wrong in terms of usability and will not be able to keep potential customers on the site for long. After all, users come in from the outset with certain expectations when they visit the online shop, app or website. This applies to both the content and the operation. Especially for the latter, especially the navigation, the usual conventions should be observed, for example when it comes to the placement of various menus, search fields and other elements. The visitor should be able to find his way around immediately and should not have to think twice. From the point of view of web usability, not too long waiting times, a high level of error tolerance towards the visitor, good legibility and consistent user guidance are also very important. The mobile usability of the website should also be kept in mind. When creating the website, the operator must think about satisfying as many of the visitors needs as possible and, above all, helping the visitor to use the website in such a way that the visitor can achieve his or her goals effectively and efficiently. Those who always offer great usability to the visitors of their site(s) will in the long run lower the bounce rate and at the same time increase their conversion rate