Easy to use Web sites distinguish themselves by delivering the amount and complexity of information their users want without overloading them, according to How To Become 'Easy to Use' Online. The key to offering the right amount of information is understanding the target audience.
This report is a follow-up to previous Media Management Center qualitative research, which indicated that being "easy to use" online is a critical differentiating quality of top Web sites. The goal of the new research was to determine what users mean when they describe a Web site as being "easy to use."
The study recommends that news organizations adopt an audience segmentation approach to usability that creates a clear connection between the information presented and the specific needs and capabilities of users. This research suggests news organizations should consider creating different Web sites, each tailored to the needs, habits, and capabilities of different types of users.