How to Test Your Web Site Usability Copyright 2002 by Herman Drost When designing a web site, you are never sure how it appears to all people. This is because people use different browsers, resolutions, computers and connection speeds to Internet. Your site may look good with your browser, but absolutely horrendous in other browsers. This is why you should test usability of your site, before you expose it to world.
What is usability testing?
This indicates ease with which folks can use your web site. Let’s look at a few usability factors.
Who is winning browser war?
Here are browser statistics: 39% Internet Explorer 6.0 51% Internet Explorer 5.0 2% Internet Explorer 4.0 3% Netscape 4.0
A few years ago Netscape was dominant browser, however Internet Explorer now has 80% of market. With introduction of Netscape 6.0 and 7.0 (their latest release), this may eat a little into IE’s market.
The latest browsers support latest designing technologies, such as Cascading Style Sheets (CSS1, CSS2) and XML.
Installing different browsers
Test your web site in different browsers, so your web site can be seen by as many people as possible.
Internet Explorer Download Internet Explorer 5 and 6. The way to do this is to either have each one installed on a different computer, or to have 2 operating systems on your computer. You can do this with partition magic.
Trying to install IE 5 & 6 on same operating sysytem doesn't work. One overrides other.
Netscape Download NN 4.79 and 6.2. You can install them on same operating system as Internet Explorer.
Other browsers The Opera browser This is often known as “third browser” after Internet Explorer and Netscape. It has received international recognition for being faster, smaller and more standards compliant than other browsers.
Kmeleon This is a simple, efficient, fast browser that loads very quickly. This is because it is an unbloated browser. If your web site looks good in this browser, it will look fine in Netscape.