Designing a Web site, e-commerce application or new technology innovation involves a variety of skills.  From look and feel to ease of use, designers, developers and programmers walk a fine line between creating something new, useful, different or exciting and creating something that users just don’t understand.  When designing an ad or a brochure, if the creative is bad, you don’t see results.  When developing a Web site, if users have difficulties or aren’t getting what they need, they don’t come back.

Before the Internet, systems development followed a different path.  Systems analysts looked at processes, developed process maps, and built applications or integrated software products to respond to a need.  Users were often internal to a company, so if there were problems or they did not understand how to use the application, there was training available or a systems person to offer support.  Unfortunately with the Web, help is not right down the hall.

That’s why National Market Measures developed SiteChek™ – our methodology for assessing a Web site, e-commerce process, software or new technology application.  Through a series of guided tours and/or focus groups, you’ll hear first hand what users think, what they have trouble with and what should be changed.  All this before launching your application or site.

Case study
A premier software development company viewed the Internet as an opportunity to capture more of the market where they specialized: Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).  Developing an application that allowed non-EDI compliant companies to become trading partners with some of the largest retailers and manufacturers in the world would help reinvent this company.  Hands-on usability testing with business-to-business customers of the application helped ensure a successful launch when new trading partners were added to the application.