Why is web usability such a tough sell?

Cost and timescale are usually the main reasons given for leaving usability out of a web project. It's true that testing a site is going to take time, and therefore money, but if anything is scalable, it's usability.

Plus, it is vital to deal with any usability issues before you're too far through a web project. Address them too late and you're definitely looking at much more of a time/cost implication than a little usability attention would have incurred.

Let me show you how it is possible to have your web usability cake and eat it, too...

Let's start with usability testing. Whilst more testing generally equals more results, a new site can be effectively tested during the design phase by just a handful of participants. If you're clear on what you need to achieve with your site, then it's easy to ask the right questions or set the right task to flag up any potential issues, regardless of the number of test participants you have.

You can also scale back by using a heuristic approach: have a single usability expert examine your site against a list of accepted principles and standards. The discussions started by a heuristic approach can help the whole team to focus on the primary goals of the site and reduce the barriers that stop users from eaching those goals. A web project often has a KPI of increased conversions and each barrier removed helps you get closer to achieving that.

However the real sticking point is often the perception that focusing on standards and conventions (a key part of web usability) impacts negatively on design: that a usable site is an ugly site. Standards and conventions are boundaries that we all have to work within when trying to complete any task, online or offline. And when it comes down to it a website is a tool to help the user complete one or more tasks. But how you apply those standards and conventions is not fixed and that's where good design comes in. A great design which goes against usability principles isn't going to get the audience it deserves.

So with all this in mind, usability should be a essential part of your web project making sure nothing gets between you and your users. Not a tough sell at all...