User experience is vital, website survey finds

Edited by the Marketingweek Marketplace editorial team Jan 21, 2010

Research by Webcredible has suggested that news and media company websites are the easiest-to-use websites, followed by travel sites and utility websites.

Local authority and government websites are identified as the most difficult to use, followed by financial services and retail and e-commerce websites, according to the vertical usability poll.

The research revealed an overwhelming feeling that the informational sites of news and media companies are really taking usability into account in their site design, with only seven per cent of respondents identifying these sites as the most difficult to use.

In contrast, the feeling was that the public sector needs to do more to make its websites easy to use, with 34 per cent of respondents identifying the local authority/government sector as having the most difficult-to-use websites, largely due to difficulties in finding information.

Financial services websites were identified as the second most difficult to use with 16 per cent of the vote, with retail and e-commerce sites coming in third with 13 per cent - perhaps a surprising result given the money to be made in online retail.

Travel websites were identified as the second easiest to use, with only nine per cent, followed by utility websites with 12 per cent of respondents identifying these sites as the most difficult to use.

The research polled more than 1,000 web users between September and December 2009 on what industry sector has the most difficult-to-use websites.

Nine per cent of survey respondents identified other sectors as having the most difficult-to-use websites, including gaming websites.

Trenton Moss, director at Webcredible, said: 'Website user experience has become a big deal in most sectors and users are increasingly frustrated if they find a website difficult to use and will tend to drop off commercial sites for this reason.

'Some sectors are clearly performing better than others when it comes to website usability, but as competition and demand for online functionality increases, it's crucial that websites in all sectors invest in providing their users with the best user experience possible.