Unfortunately, it is rare to find a website that is highly usable just after it is published. Of course, it is possible to raise the level of usability by designing a website according to well-known usability guidelines.
However, it can be difficult to know what types of users will visit a specific website and to fully understand the behavioral characteristics of those users at the planning and design stages. We often hear people say, "No website is complete right after it is published. All you need to do is get feedback from users after starting the service, use that feedback to understand their behavior, and keep improving the site on a daily basis."
Indeed, it may be possible, through this type of improvement strategy, to raise a website's usability to a level that will satisfy users.
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 User Feedback Alone is Not Enough
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Still, there are at least 3 problems with the method of improvement described above that relies on user feedback.
- Users once lost may never be recovered
- The opinions of users who never come back cannot be heard
- Uncovering user behavior through a passive stance is time-consuming
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Effectiveness of Usability Testing
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To overcome the 3 problems listed above, one effective approach is to conduct a usability test using actual targeted users, before the website is published. By having actual targeted users try out the website before unveiling the service, designers can discover and resolve unexpected problems in user-friendliness, design, and construction before the site goes online. As a result, any loss of sales opportunities or decline in site loyalty can be held to a minimum once the site is published.
Conducting usability testing may delay the release date and increase overall cost. However, it is worth the investment when one considers the loss that would be incurred if a website with poor usability was published.
In upcoming columns, we will discuss specific methods of carrying out usability tests and problems associated with those tests.
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