Website Optimization Study: Web Users Prefer Speed Over Customization

April 6, 2009 - PRLog -- Website Optimization is announcing that Web users want site designs to be both easy to use and helpful, as prior human-computer interaction (HCI) studies have shown. But most such studies haven't ranked interface design features in achieving these objectives. Since this knowledge can positively impact site design or re-design, this article will ask and answer the question - is there a single interface design feature that maximizes both user goals; usability and utility? If so, how important is this feature compared to others?

A recent study examined the effects of five web design features - customization, adaptive behavior, memory load, content density, and speed - on user preference for web-based services. The 2009 study by Turkish and American HCI researchers Seneler, Basoglu, and Daim tested site designs for online flight reservations. The results of this study are valuable because insights into the relative importance (to users) of interface attributes can help web designers increase adoption and retention rates, and boost online revenues. As you can see from Figure 1 they found that the most preferred feature was high speed, followed distantly by minimal memory load, adaptive behavior, low content density, and customization features.

For the full study click here:
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/speed/tweak/design-fac...

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About Website Optimization:

Don't Make Me Wait! The new book titled "Speed Up Your Site - Web Site Optimization" by Andy King, and the companion web site are about designing "speedy" web sites with techniques that...

* Cut file size and download times in half
* Speed up site load time to satisfy customers
* Engage users with fast response times and flow stimulus
* Increase usability, boost profits, and slash bandwidth costs
* Improve search engine rankings and web page conversions