The Web User Experience (Kick it up a Notch!)

by Sherry Budziak

With more than 2 million new Web sites each month, users are demanding an online experience that is intuitive and engaging. So what happens when visiting their professional association's Web site doesn't measure up to their expectations? Will they try to look for information and services somewhere else or find new online social channels?

Does any of the following sound familiar?

• You know the information is there, but your members keep calling or sending you emails saying they can't find it
• The information on your Web site is outdated or has been deleted and is now missing
• You know that your Web site could be better structured and you need to improve your information architecture but you don't know where to start
• Your Web site content has grown so much that information is becoming difficult for staff to update

If the answer is "yes" to any of these, then you should be thinking of conducting a Web site usability review. Fundamental to usability and creating successful user experiences is placing a strong focus on users. In many cases, we spend little time concentrating on the users. Yet, the users are critical to the success of your Web site. (Read more by dowloading the article at http://www.fusionproductions.com/digitalnow/upload/Usability.pdf)

For more valuable information on how to improve the Web experience for your members, join Sherry Budziak at her DigitalNow workshop, Usability Bootcamp: The User Experience - Plugging into Best Practices. This session is scheduled for Thursday April 12, at 1:00 pm.

DigitalNow is the proven leadership conference for associations. To learn more about DigitalNow 2007, and to register please visit http://www.fusionproductions.com/digitalnow