In brief: Website usability expresses how easily and reliably a person can complete their task on a website. It includes clarity, controls, error states and appropriate speed.
How I use website usability in practice
I assess website usability in the context of the whole page. The heading, text, controls, speed and feedback must together explain what can be done and what will follow. I first fix obstacles preventing the task; decoration and effects come only after the basics work.
What to watch out for
A component is not complete merely because it works with a mouse. With website usability, I check the keyboard, contrast, zoom, screen reader, slow network and the state without scripts. Accessibility and performance are not an add-on; they are part of the same experience.
Questions for decision-making
- What task does a person want to complete on the page?
- Where can they hesitate, make an error or lose context?
- Does the solution work on mobile, with a keyboard and on a slow network?
- What signal will show that the change really helped?