To: Daniel

From: Paul
Don Swanson Racing School Website: Usability Test Results

Introduction
Before designing a usability test of the Don Swanson Racing School it was necessary to
determine what type of feedback about the website the test should gather. A decision was made
to determine the effectiveness of the current website and compare it to a new website design. For
the purposes of this test the effectiveness of a website is based on a few components:
- What type of person is using the website?
- How well are users able to find specific information?
- What links on the website draw the most attention?
- How satisfied are users with the layout and styling of the website?
Using these as a starting point a usability test was created to provide information for these
questions.
The Test/Methodology
To best gather data to answer the questions above several technologies were utilized. A Google
Form provided a means of asking volunteers different questions. Many types of questions were
asked ranging from word answers to using a rating an answer on a scale. The test was divided
into three sections:
- User Information
- Website Aesthetics
- Website Navigation
The user information section was used to collect general details about each individual tester.
Questions in this section collected data about how often the person uses the internet to find about
products and services, or how likely they are to read large paragraphs to find small pieces of
information.
In the website aesthetics section were questions asking about the users opinion of the homepage.
If any elements on the page caught their eye it was asked that they note it. It was also asked if the
users can clearly tell what the website is advertising when only looking at the homepage.
Finally, website navigation was evaluated. This section not only utilized user feedback but also
leveraged the Google Analytics service. Google Analytics collects data about visitors to a
website. Once configured, the service provides an abundance of information that includes:
- The links on the website are being clicked.
- What pages the user navigates to and the order.
- What page a user stops browsing the website.


Users were asked to find information on the website and then rate on a scale from 1-5 how
difficult or how easy it was to find that piece of information. Analytics data is then used to
observe what pages users tried to find information on.
Results
This section contains the results to all questions asked during the survey. Questions that asked
for a written response are analyzed using a word cloud and displayed. Questions rated on a scale
are from one to five, worst to best.
User Information Questions:

1. When looking for a product or service, I rely on the internet to find most of the
information.

2. It is important to me that a businesss website looks professional if I am going to use their
services.


3. I enjoy reading informative articles.
Scale
1: None of the time
5: All of the time
Scale
1: Not Important
5: Very Important


4. I want a website to present information without being wordy.
5. I will read large paragraphs for simple information if I encounter them on a website.
6. It is important that I can find reviews about a company to feel comfortable using their
services.

Website Aesthetics:

7. Please skim the homepage. What is your impression of the business?
Scale
1: Very Unlikely
5: Very Likely
Scale
1: Not Important
5: Very Important
Scale
1: Very Bad
5: Very Good



8. Were there elements that stuck out or caught your eye when skimming the page? If yes,
what sticks out?
The text cloud shows that the Ford logo, animated speedometers, background, and
military logo were the primary items that attracted all of the users attention.

9. I can clearly tell what this website is advertising.
Website Aesthetics:
10. Who is the intended audience of the classes? How was your experience in finding this
information?



Scale
1: Strongly Disagree
5: Strongly Agree


Website Navigation:
11. I can drive my own vehicle when taking the class. How was your experience in finding
this information?

12. Where are the driving courses held? How was your experience in finding this
information?
This text cloud suggests that most found the answer to be parking lots, or large open
surfaces.

13. About how much do courses cost? How was your experience in finding this information?
Most users determined that the course cost between $500-700 per day. There were a few
outliers that thought they saw the cost was over $1000. The page with this answer was
also listing the price of competitors that had costs of over $1000.

14. In what ways can you contact the Don Swanson Racing School? How was your
experience in finding this information?
Scale
1: Very Difficult
5: Very Easy
Scale
1: Very Difficult
5: Very Easy
Scale
1: Very Difficult
5: Very Easy
Scale
1: Very Difficult
5: Very Easy


All users were able to find the email contact, only a few noticed the phone number on the
homepage.

Website Conclusion:
15. How would you rate your overall experience with this website?

16. Is there anything that you really liked or disliked?

Many users had similar critiques involving:
- The lack of easily accessible contact information.
- The text colors paired with the background being hard on the eyes.
- The large paragraphs on the page with important information buried in them.
- The amount of pictures on the website.
- Broken links throughout the website.
There was one tester who felt that the wording was generally good but stated his dislike
of how it was presented.

17. How likely would you be to use this companies services based on your interaction with
the website?

Scale
1: Very Bad
5: Very Good
Scale
1: Very Unlikely
5: Very Likely


Updated Website Aesthetics:
18. Please rate your first impression of this new website.


Updated Website Navigation:
The navigation questions of the new website were to evaluate how difficult or easy a user is able
to find information with the new site design.
19. In what ways can you contact the Don Swanson Racing School? How was your
experience in finding this information?
20. How many students are in a class? How was your experience in finding this information?
All but one tester correctly identified that 20-40 students are in a class.

21. When is the date of the next class? How was your experience in finding this information?
All but two testers correctly identified the next class on 9-25-2013.
Scale
1: Very Bad
5: Very Good
Scale
1: Very Difficult
5: Very Easy
Scale
1: Very Difficult
5: Very Easy
Scale
1: Very Difficult
5: Very Easy


22. How long are the classes? How was your experience in finding this information?
This question showed that the new design can still be improved. Many students correctly
found the class to be over the course of one day, however, a handful of the testers either
could not find the answer or thought it was a three day to one week program.

Updated Website Conclusion:
23. How would you rate the updated website in comparison to the original?
24. What new elements did you like or dislike?
This question provided a lot of good feedback on the new design. Many testers said the
liked the:
- Layout and menu bar
- Colors that were easier on the eyes
- Clarity and brevity of the information
- Calendar providing dates of already scheduled courses.
Some criticism of the new design included:
- Not liking the all-white background.
- Many believed the homepage needed more information.

25. Does this new design make you more or less likely to use this companys service?
Scale
1: Very Difficult
5: Very Easy
Scale
1: Not Improved
5: Greatly Improved
Scale
1: Very Unlikely
5: Very Likely


Google Analytics Data:
This shows some of the data used from Analytics. Here we see what pages were visited and how






Updated Website Page Views
Original Website Page Views


The data below shows how users navigate from page to page while using the website.




Updated Website Page Behavior
Original Website Page Behavior


Interpreting the Data
This usability test produced a lot of data. When designing the test I strived to stay away from
leading questions and feel that the test was successful in allowing users to form, and express,
their own opinions. Despite this the test results still show that the overall opinion to be that the
current Don Swanson Racing School needs to be updated.
When asked about the homepage 29% of the users stated that they it was not formatted well,
57% were undecided. After using the website 53% of the users stated their overall experience
with the website was poor. These numbers led 52% of all the users to say they were either very
unlikely or unlikely to use the racing schools services based on the website experience. After
using the updated website design 81% of the users said they are more likely or likely to use the
school with the new design.
In the navigation tests users were asked to find specific information by looking through the
website. While most users found all the information asked, on average 27% had a very difficult
or difficult time finding the answers. In contrast, only 4% had a very difficult or difficult time
finding answers on the updated Don Swanson Racing School website.
The Google analytics data shows that several of the pages of the original website went with little
to no use. Pages such as the links, photos, staff, and comment pages accounted for only 8.56% of
the total traffic generated from the testers. This shows that these pages do not have appropriate
titles or that the pages provide very little needed information. These pages were largely excluded
from the updated website.
User traffic through the updated website is more evenly disturbed across different pages of the
website. Based on the questions asked it is logical that most of the user traffic would be on the
pricing and courses pages. Many users said they liked how concise the new website is compared
to the old one and is supported by the data gathered.
It should be noted that the test is not without a few pitfalls. The updated website was not
finished, although it does include all of the necessary information to find out about the school.
This new website is designed to encourage users to call or email for specific details. As such it
does not currently have an abundance of detailed information. Since there was not as much
information it was expected that users would find answers to questions with ease. Because of this
the usability data gathered on the usability of the new website holds less weight to that gained of
the original website.
Overall I feel that this usability test was a success. Although not all data gathered will be equally
useful there is enough to help shape the design of the website for the target audience. By
incorporating tools such as Google Analytics into the website from the beginning the website can
be monitored and updated regularly to benefit the users.