Is your site the best it can be? We can help!

The Web Academy has trained developers from hundreds of companies in the art and science of creating effective, usable Web sites. Using a core set of usability principles, our training program creates "egoless" Web designers who understand that the user is the ultimate judge of what works and what doesn't.

Using the Web is a constant decision-making process. As users view each page and as they read each word, they are deciding, "Should I stay or should I leave?". A usability evaluation from The Web Academy can identify the very subtle factors in your design that can cause users to become fatigued, irritated or confused (and that ultimately cause them to decide to leave).

We examine your site for the following:

Interactivity
There are three levels of interactivity that can be provided on a site. The user can be an observer - the user is shown information with no means of interaction (the online brochure); a participant - the user experience is the result of what the site is providing and what the user is providing (the experience flows as a conversation, built on the action of both parties); a contributor - the user perceives that it is his or her own actions that are making the site so good (this builds a feeling of ownership, control and loyalty) Your evaluation will identify the level of interactivity and, if necessary, recommend simple improvements to take it to the next level.
Rewards
When the user visits your site (or chooses to remain within your site), they are taking a physical and emotional risk. Each page must reward the user for taking that risk, making the user feel that they have just made a very smart decision. We will report on whether your pages provide these rewards consistently.
Motor Overload
Is your site physically fatiguing or painful to use? Does it hurt to use your site? Does your site make the user cry? (It can happen!)
Memory Overload
Does the user have to keep track of too many things while using your site? Can they visualize the organization (navigational model) of the site?
Cognitive Overload
When users visit your site, they learn what it contains and how it operates. Does the knowledge gained in one part of the site apply equally well to other parts of the site?
Scanning Overload (very important!)
As each page loads in the browser, the user makes a quick visual scan to determine what is on this page and where they can go next. Scanning overload occurs when the design of the page or its loading behavior impedes the scanning process.
Attention Overload
The user becomes impatient, frustrated or bored due to poor performance, "wasted clicks" or insufficient explanations.
Outdated Visual Artifacts
Some HTML features and graphic styles can lessen the users' confidence in the accuracy and timeliness of the site. The page may project the message, "I was designed in 1996 and haven't been updated since then!"

Contact to start your evaluation.