The best indicator of successful usability is a clear understanding of the web site’s target audience. For example, the audience of our rock musician clients want multimedia. They want to download audio tracks, play videos, see large photos, and actively participate in the web experience on a fan level. A fan will most likely have multimedia plugins on his or her computer, and if not, will eagerly download them to be able to access enhanced content.

The audience of our real estate clients, however, want to find information, and find it quickly. They aren’t interested in lingering through a Flash animation that stands as a hurdle to the information they’re after. And while photos of properties are necessary, waiting for them to load, having to navigate a sea of thumbnails, or having too-small images will turn a potential homebuyer into a frustrated web user. The real estate agent or company won’t get that user’s phone call.

The tough part is finding the balance between easily giving base-line visitors what they want, and not boring (therefore, alienating) more sophisticated web users. Luckily, that just happens to be our specialty. With design that’s focused on both visual impact and usability, WebSight Design creates a custom-tailored user experience, based on your target audience.

Usability: Know Your Target Audience is a post from: WebSight Design, Inc. company blog. With headquarters in the San Francisco bay area, WebSight Design, Inc. has been providing world class web engineering, creative design and hosting solutions since 1995. WebSight Design