#19053
What Makes People Trust Online Gambling Sites? 
A validated model of trust was used as a framework for an empirical study to identify on- and offline factors that influence gamblers’ perception of an online casino’s trustworthiness. The results suggest that the quality with which casinos address gamblers’ trust concerns by providing appropriate content is the prime factor. However, designing for trust must be part of a consistent strategy that also involves customer service and usability.
Shelat, B. and F.N. Egger. ACM SIGCHI (2002). Design>Web Design>E Commerce>Usability
#13806
What Web Sites Could Learn from Radio Stations
Twenty years ago radio-station operators faced the same problems web-based companies face today: Too many stations chasing too few audience members and not enough revenue to go around. No one could gain enough market share to make any money. An interesting thing happened several years later. Several 'rogue' stations started doing perceptual studies, music testing and format demand searches to understand what would allow them to create strong and lasting audience demand.
Seidholz, Donn. Usability Professionals Association (2001). Design>Web Design>Usability
#23302
What's the Skinny on Weight Loss Websites?
This study reports on the usability test of three weight loss websites. In addition, eye tracking patterns were observed for initial exposure to each site home page. Results indicate that participants were able to search the Atkins diet site more efficiently than the Jenny Craig website or Weight Watchers website and preferred this site overall. Analysis of eye-tracking data suggests users first fixate on graphics and large text even when looking for specific information. Interface issues contributing to overall satisfaction and preference are discussed.
Shaikh, A. Dawn, J. Ryan Baker and Mark C. Russell. Usability News (2004). Design>Web Design>Usability>E Commerce
#14445
Frames have been controversial since they were introduced. To decide when and how to use frames, you must understand the technical details of how they work, and the arguments that have been made against their use. From a design viewpoint, there are at least two valid uses of frames: integrated into the page design of a single page, to provide separate areas for material such as navigation; as the mechanism for associating material from a specific author (such as comments) with other pages that normally stand on their own.
Bricklin, Dan. Good Documents (1998). Design>Web Design>Usability
#24138
When Customers Want You to Close the Sale
The voice of commerce grates terribly online when it is misplaced. When I'm reading someone's weblog, I do not want to be offered the opportunity to buy a t-shirt or baseball cap.
Usborne, Nick. ClickZ (2002). Design>Web Design>Usability>Marketing
#31019
When Geolocation Gets Too Clever
Geo-redirecting -- redirecting users to different parts of your website depending on their own geographical location -- is a neat trick. It is handy when your website has different messages or product offers for users from different countries or regions. But many website owners mistakenly assume that their geolocation software works every time. It doesn't!
Heraghty, Michael. Mediajunk (2007). Articles>Web Design>User Centered Design>Usability
#21151
You should only link out of your own site as a last resort. In general you want to keep your visitors at your site. Heck, isn't that why you built it? But there are times when it makes sense to stop the insanity and add that link. You must send visitors away sometimes.
Rhodes, John S. WebWord (1999). Design>Web Design>Hypertext>Usability
#19340
Puzzled why your site is not living up to your expectations? The problem may not lie with your content or products, but rather in your site's user experience. Find out what common pitfalls to avoid by following a few simple guidelines to improve the user experience and transform surfers into customers.
Paul, Chris. IBM (2000). Design>Web Design>User Experience>Usability
#27378
Where Are You When I Need You? (or... Ending the Search for Search)
Just as with any relationships, users' previous experiences--good or bad--will influence the expectations and hopes that they will have for their relationship with your site. And as with human relationships, this means that if you really want it to work, you need to know some of the gory details of their past to make the future smooth. That's the bad news. The good news is that we are only talking about Web sites.
Straub, Kathleen. Human Factors International (2006). Articles>Web Design>Usability
#13323
Where Should You Put the Links? A Comparison of Four Locations
Online newspapers and journals, as well as many other types of informational sites, are invariably confronted with the question of where to place links associated with the online document. Currently, many informational sites place associative links below (as seen with CNN.com) or on the side of the document (as seen with techreview.com), while a shrinking number of sites embed associative links within their documents.
Bernard, Michael. Usability News (2001). Articles>Usability>Web Design
#27534
Where's the Search? Re-examining User Expectations of Web Objects
In 2001, Bernard determined that users were able to form a schema for the location of web objects on informational websites. The current study investigates whether users' expectations have changed since the 2001 study. Changes were found in the expected location of the site search engine, internal links, and advertisements.
Shaikh, A. Dawn and Kelsi Lenz. Usability News (2006). Design>Web Design>Search>Usability
#10258
Why Frames Suck (Most of the Time)
Judging from the email I receive, the most controversial statement I have made in my Alertbox columns so far was to make 'the use of frames' one of the mistakes in my list of top ten mistakes in Web design. For new or inexperienced Web designers, I stand by my original recommendation. Frames: Just Say No.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (1996). Articles>Usability>Web Design
#25600
Why Listening to Users Can Damage Your Website
The first time I noticed that people tend to say one thing and do another in a usability test was back in 2000. We had been building a new company website and testing it with real users brought us an unexpected problem. All the users liked the new design a lot more than the old one, but nobody could work out how to use it.
Unsworth, David. Usability Professionals Association (2005). Articles>Web Design>Usability
#10580
In our most recent web-site studies, we watched users look for information within web sites. Our goal was to gather data about what makes a good link, but we did not tell users whether or not they should use the site’s search facilities. Users went to these search engines in almost half the tasks. Maybe they shouldn’t have.
User Interface Engineering (1997). Articles>Usability>Web Design
#26033
Why do so many people leave websites without buying the items they came to look at?
Usability by Design (2005). Design>Web Design>Usability
#25130
Why Track Your Visitor's Behaviour
Understanding what your visitors actually do on your website is an essential part of usability. Find out how to go about doing this!
Falkow, Sally. Webcredible (2005). Design>Web Design>Usability
#28651
Wikiasari: The Convergence of Usability and SEO?
Wikiasari's new search engine could change the way search rankings are formulated - find out what this means for your website.
Halabi, Lisa. Webcredible (2007). Design>Web Design>Usability
#19122
Will Plain-Text Ads Continue to Rule?
Text-only advertisements work far better than banners, but is this only due to their novelty? Search engine text ads will retain their superiority over time, but text ads on other sites will work only if they focus on directly meeting users' needs.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2003). Design>Web Design>Marketing>Usability
#24041
Words - The Secret Sauce in Website Marketing
Words are the secret to effective website marketing. Find out how to use your copy to maximise the effectiveness of your website.
Claiborne, Scottie. Webcredible (2004). Design>Web Design>Usability
#14434
Write Links That Don't Have To Be Followed
Providing summary information at the link site can convey enough information to save the reader from following links they would otherwise have to follow just to find out a small amount of information.
Bricklin, Dan. Good Documents (1998). Design>Web Design>Usability
#24359
Hypertext links are what connects web pages together and are at the very core of the Internet. As they're so important it's essential that your link text is effectively written and displayed - find out how.
Moss, Trenton. Webcredible (2004). Design>Web Design>Usability
#31906
Writing Style for Print vs. Web
Linear vs. non-linear. Author-driven vs. reader-driven. Storytelling vs. ruthless pursuit of actionable content. Anecdotal examples vs. comprehensive data. Sentences vs. fragments.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2008). Articles>Web Design>Writing>Usability
#21164
Yahoo.es y la Publicidad: Aprendiendo de los Errores
Hoy hemos podido contemplar atónitos cómo uno de los más importantes portales de Internet, en su versión española, cometía un error de usabilidad de libro de bolsillo.
Nosolousabilidad.com (2003). (Spanish) Design>Web Design>Usability>Localization
#23234
You Had Me at the Search Engine
A high search engine ranking is pointless if site users can't find what they want when they get to your website.
Krause, Kim. Webcredible (2004). Design>Web Design>Usability
#28650
Issues of online trust have evolved as web 2.0 is becoming more widespread - find out what implications this has for your website.
McElhaw, Mark. Webcredible (2007). Design>Web Design>Usability
