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Website Basics and Usability

Usability refers to how well users can navigate a website. There are hundreds of resources dedicated to usability, from rating systems to tried-and-tested web templates. One thing many successful sites have in common is their appreciation for one question: Does your website provide an efficient and enjoyable user experience?

To turn the answer to this question into a "yes" visit:
 

Structural Tips

The structural aspect of your website is arguably the most important as it’s what a user experiences when he or she looks up your charity or stumbles across it online. Internet users are bombarded with options and distractions; many times, all your website gets is a first glance – not even a scroll – before a potential volunteer, donor, or member, moves on. Users tend to poke through sites. Thus, your online presence has to be clear, quick to take in, and memorable. Here are some necessities:
 

APPEARANCE

Whitespace: Whitespace is how much uncluttered empty space a user can see on your site. The more text, images, and overall mess you have on the screen, the less a user will be willing to interact with your site. Thus, it’s important to make sure your site has a lot of white space so users don’t become overwhelmed with information.
 
Length: Many organizations believe that if they put a lot of information on their site, users will take it all in. This is wrong. People have a shorter attention span online than in the print-based world. The more a user has to scroll down, across, or all over your page for information, the more he or she will become agitated. Keep your paragraphs short and include bullet point information. If the information is really necessary, you can link it to another location on your site.
 
Consistency: Your charity logo or banner should be consistent with your messaging, as should your choice of colour and visual message. The look of your site upon first glance is the visual impression many will remember: think of it as a snapshot. You need to be consistent with your branding so your users have a clear idea of your purpose.

 
FUNCTIONALITY

Organization: Use headings to break up different areas of information, pictures to reinforce key concepts, and sub pages for different ideas. Each page within your site should represent one idea. For instance, “About us” should be a separate page from “Programs,” and so forth.
 
Speed: The ease of downloading documents, streaming videos, or browsing through links is essential. Know what kind of internet connection your users will likely have: if they are still on dial-up, stay away from embedding YouTube videos and large pictures as they slow your site down considerably. The more interactive media, such as photo albums, videos, and podcasts, you put on your site, the more it will slow down. And the more traffic (number of people visiting your site) you have, the slower your site will run. As your site becomes more popular, understand your bandwidth (traffic capacity) options with your internet provider.
  
Interactivity: Users now expect Web 2.0 tools: Feeds, videos, widgets, blogs with comment forums, etc. Learn about the various tools at your disposal and decide which ones will work best for you. Refer to the Web 2.0 section for information on popular, interactive Web 2.0 applications.
 
 

Foundational Tips

The foundation of your website, as the name implies, is the premise on which your online presence sits. Your site goals, intended audience, and resources influence your online presence and ultimately determine your success. Ask yourself these questions:
 
What is my goal for being online? It is just to have a stand-alone site like a business card, or do I want to create an interactive community and reach out to new donors? Are you aiming to increase your donations, or to build an online community to expand your reach? Maybe both?
 
Fundraising, raising awareness, and building online communities are some of the more common goals. Just putting a site up and then embedding a bunch of interactive tools will do nothing but confuse your original purpose – stay focused and remember that whatever you do online should be integrated with what’s happening offline. It’s important to first ask what you want to be online for, and then to pursue the look and feel of your sight around this goal.
 
Who is my audience and how should I communicate with them?
 
You need to have a clear idea who you are targeting. If you are a visual charity, maybe you rely more on pictures and thus have Flickr albums embedded in your site; if you are news-heavy maybe you rely on Feeds and links to Feed sites.
 
What is my budget and what online tools can I use for free?
 
Many charities operate on a shoestring. It’s important to know that there are many free resources available for adding features to your site. CanadaHelps free online fundraising tools are only one example. 

 

DIY Usability Testing

If you want to know if you are achieving your online goals, get a friend, a volunteer, a family member, or a complete stranger to go to your site and work through a usability checklist, which is a list that asks the user to rate how well your site works. On the checklist, ask the user to rate the structural and foundational factors listed above and task them with finding specific things on your site – how easy was it to find? Where did they get stuck? How long did it take to find the information? This information will be valuable when organizing your site and the content. Observe how long it takes them to find certain information.
 
Or, make an online survey (www.surveymonkey.com) and post the link on your site. Ask users how they rate the basics of your site’s usability. Also, include it in your newsletter. Require your board members to do it!
 
Use whoever you can to go through your site and record what they think of certain aspects, such as length, speed, and messaging. This is the best way to test usability. Sometimes providing incentives can help in getting volunteers. Alternatively, this would be a really great volunteer experience for youth!
 
Don’t be afraid to experiment with tools, fail with others, and rework your online goals. Having a user-friendly site can greatly increase your organizations’ ability to fundraise, raise awareness, and build community.
 
For the user’s sake, always remember these essential usability points: 
  • Information should be easy to retrieve
  • The site should be clean and inviting
  • Everything must download quickly
All links and interactive media should work. There are many free link-checking programs available online, such as Link Sleuth. Use these programs to quickly check your site.
  • Messaging should be clear and consistent
  • Everything should be short and to the point
  • Users should not feel restricted or denied – Web 2.0 is all about interactivity
 
 
Instructional Video on Website Usability

 
 
Recording of our Websites 101 webinar

 

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