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Maybe More is More? Usability Myths.

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Subject:  Maybe More is More? Usability Myths. Dave Chaffey
Author:   dave chaffey:   view profile | all posts by this author | add to favourites
Date:   14:57:15 5 March 2004
 
Hi Thx for reminding me about Zona Chris - I'm with you on that one.

I don't actually agree with that point in Jared Spools article - it was the stuff further down such as the multiple clicks that I was interested in and the fact that a lot of people's actions is based on these myths that are often based on a single piece of limited research. I recall that Jakob Nielsens copy piece / scannability was based on a very long piece of text about US National Parks - not commercial site content!

Seems some new research is needed on this one.

Dave Chaffey
============
Internet Marketing trainer, consultant and author
eResources and Books: www.marketing-online.co.uk

On 14:45:36 5 March 2004 chrisl wrote:
>Hi Dave,
>
>I agree with you in that generalisations are to be
>avoided, and you can normally find a range of scientific
>arguments to bruise so-called scientific facts, but some
>of the statements in that article are patently thin...
>such as the 'myth' about page download speed.
>
>From the aricle: "You have undoubtedly heard that
>users give up because pages take too long to download.
>This is also a myth. Testing shows no correlation between
>page download time and users giving up. How does this myth
>continue to defy gravity?"
>
>This isn't a myth! I regularly ditch sites because of poor
>page response times. There might be some argument now
>about the 8 second rule, but if anything, I'd say it has
>fallen as more and more people become 'web savvy', their
>expectations change and they want results right away.
>There are less people out there that don't know what to
>expect.
>
>While page download speed is becoming less of an issue in
>the broadband age, most of the UK's 3m 'broadband'
>connections are about as broad as 56kbps X 2 - ie not very
>broad.
>
>I'm sure you've seen the now-defunct Zona Research's work
>in this area - opportunity cost in the region of $25bn per
>year due to users lack of patience.
>
>http://www.avoka.com/resources/keynote/Zona_Need_For_Speed-
>.pdf
>
>
>c.
>
>
>On 13:51:32 5 March 2004 dave chaffey wrote:
>>I'm not saying scannability isn't key, Obi, but i
>think
>>rules of thumb like 'less is more' are dangerous. I
>love
>>this article by Jared Spool that knocks (based on
>testing)
>>some of the usability myths (often originating from
>>uability gurus such as Jakob Nielsen) such as the
>three
>>click rule.
>>
>>http://www.uie.com/articles/usability_myths/
>>
>>and also
>>
>>http://www.uie.com/articles/page_scrolling/
>>
>>With the copy example you quote, the only way to be
>sure
>>is to test long and short copy against the audience
>for
>>that site i.e. Setup a test for a long versus short
>>version.
>>
>>With E-mail Marketing I recommend writing Long and
>Short
>>at the same time i.e. The start of the msg has a
>succinct
>>overview of the whole, but more details are there for
>>those who want to read them - we are all different. I
>>think the same applies on sites - people turn to the
>web
>>for ** detailed information **. Short copy initially,
>but
>>the details need to be there via a link or further
>down
>>the page - and the Jared Spool article suggestst that
>>people do scroll - yet another myth.
>>
>>Dave Chaffey
>>============
>>Internet Marketing trainer, consultant and author
>>eResources and Books: www.marketing-online.co.uk
 
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