Architect Web Design

Test usability and get fast results

After reading an article on improving conversions by Avinash Kaushik (this article is also full of free SEO and internet marketing tips) I decided to try out one of his suggestions – Five Second Test

The purpose of this usability testing tool is to find out what the users attention is draw to within the first 5 seconds they are on your website. This information could prove invaluable to increasing conversions and how users interact with your website.

If a user is not sure what the purpose of your website is then you should optimise the design of your site to increase visitor attention and conversions.

The process is simple:

1. Take a screen shot of the web page that you wish to test
2. Go to Five Second Test and register
3. Upload your screen shot
4. Send out the test link or you can wait for random users to stumble upon it using the ‘random test’ link on the homepage
5. Gather feedback on your website

Tester’s are then presented with a screen telling them they have 5 seconds to look at the screen shot and remember what they see. Then a form appears with 5 fields – all the tester has to do is fill in what they remember about the website. This can be anything that the user decides – there are no right or wrong answers!

Here you can find the test that I set up earlier today:

http://fivesecondtest.com/test/jpOVGukN

Using the information that I gather here I plan to create variations of this web page and A/B split test those different variations to increase conversions.

I am in no way affiliated with Five Second Test – if you have experiences good or bad with this service please share your thoughts in the comments below. Thank you.

wayne Design browser, conversions, free seo tips, internet marketing, optimise, usability, web design

7th July 2009 – Google announces Google Chrome OS

When I got into work this morning I was greeted with a flood of tweets (from my twitter account) with the news that Google have announced they will be taking their popular Chrome browser and using the same ethos – build an OS.

At exactly 9.37pm last night The Official Google Blog was updated to announce the news of the Google Chrome Operating System. This shouldn’t have come as such as big surprise as Google already make an OS called Android OS for mobile phones – but it did.

Google is not only making waves in the mobile market – now they are taking on Microsoft. The Operating System is what Microsoft is known for – I take it you’ve heard of Microsoft Windows?

Well this is seriously damaging news for Microsoft as Google Chrome OS will be free as it is Open Source. Who’s going to pay £133.60 for Windows Vista when they can get Google Chrome OS for free?

Judging by the blog post Google published, Google Chrome OS is going to be lightweight, fast and very web focused. The web focus is something Google are known for – imagine all the web apps that they offer instantly working on an OS.

I’m a fan of the Google Chrome browser (although I wish it was out on mac already!) so I am really looking forward to Google Chrome OS.

If you can’t wait to get your hands on Google Chrome OS – you should try Ubuntu which is a Linux OS that is user friendly. Or if you want to go for minimalism and speed try Xubuntu.

Google Chrome OS will be available in 2010.

wayne Google browser, Google