Click Consult - Internet Marketing

website development

Web Design And Usability Testing

posted on: March 11th, 2010

Carrying out usability testing as part of the web marketing and development process is potentially beneficial, but there are a number of pitfalls to avoid. Tests can be unreliable if they are not carefully planned and results can be useless if they are taken in isolation rather than as part of a bigger picture. One obvious benefit of usability testing is that it can reveal glaring errors made by the web design team. Other more subtle aspects of tests can be easier to miss. Selection of the right participants is crucial. If a user is asked to carry out a task he or she has no interest in, the results will differ from those of a more motivated person. If the aim of a test is to help streamline a site for new visitors, it is no use testing with participants selected from existing users, as they will already have come to terms with the established system and will find it familiar. Results must be analysed with caution. If a person visits lots of pages, does that show extreme interest or could it mean that the information that was sought for could not be found? Alternatively, a user lingering on one spot could be a good sign, and mean that the page was engaging, or it could be that the visitor was unsure how to proceed. Awareness of such possibilities makes it more likely that testing a web design will prove fruitful. At Click Consult, our web development professionals fully understand the pros and cons of usability testing.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

The Use Of JavaScript In Web Design

posted on: March 8th, 2010

JavaScript is a programming language which is often used in web development. When present in web pages it enables the addition of a range of features. Users surfing the internet will already be familiar with the effects of JavaScript, as it is responsible for the appearance of pop-up windows, and interactive events such as those that occur when visitors move the cursor over an image. JavaScript also causes the alerts that appear if the wrong details are typed into an online form. In more subtle ways, JavaScript is employed to collect information about a user's operating system, browser type, screen size and resolution. Similarly, details of the time and date can be gathered from a visitor's computer. JavaScript can also be used to carry out calculations and for text manipulation, including putting new text into an existing document. All of these simple options can be combined to powerful effect. For example, JavaScript could check in detail whether a form was correctly completed, including filling in all the boxes, supplying a valid email address, and making any appropriate selections. It would then be used to warn the user if they had made any omissions or mistakes. It should be remembered that JavaScript can only work if it is enabled in a user's browser. For this reason, it can be risky to rely on JavaScript for vitally important parts of a website to function. Our web design experts at Click Consult know how to make full and proper use of JavaScript in web development and web marketing.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Search Blogs

Highest Rated Blogs

Tag Cloud

Recent Posts

Blog Categories

Affiliate Marketing
About Affiliate MarketingAffiliate Marketing Glossary
Affiliate Marketing ManagementAffiliate Marketing Networks
Affiliate Marketing ProgramsAffiliate Marketing Reporting
Affiliate Marketing Set UpAffiliate Marketing Strategy

Audio Podcasts

Click Consult Press Releases

Email Marketing
About Email MarketingEmail Marketing Creation
Email Marketing GlossaryEmail Marketing Management
Email Marketing Reporting

General Industry Blogs
Internet Marketing

Online Press Release (PR)
About Online Press Releases (PR)Online Press Release (PR) Glossary
Online Press Release (PR) ManagementOnline Press Release (PR) Reporting
Online Press Release (PR) Writing

Pay Per Click (PPC)
About Pay Per Click (PPC)Content / Search Advertising
Google AdwordsMicrosoft adCenter
Pay Per Click (PPC) GlossaryPay Per Click (PPC) Management
Pay Per Click (PPC) PoliciesQuality Score
Yahoo! Search Marketing

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
About Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)Off Page Search Engine Optimisation
On Page Search Engine OptimisationSearch Engine Optimisation Glossary
Search Engine Optimisation SubmissionsSEO Tips

Video Podcasts

Web Design
About Web DesignContent Management Systems
Web Design GlossaryWeb Design Tips
Web Hosting

Blog Archives

March 2010February 2010
January 2010December 2009
November 2009October 2009
September 2009August 2009
July 2009June 2009
May 2009April 2009
March 2009February 2009
January 2009December 2008
November 2008October 2008
September 2008August 2008
July 2008June 2008
May 2008April 2008
March 2008February 2008
January 2008December 2007
November 2007
Click Consult Resource Centre for PPC, SEO and Internet Marketing
Click Consult TV - Internet Marketing Blog
W3C XHTML Valid W3C CSS Valid W3C WAI  Internet Marketing RSS Feed for Click Consult