Evaluating the Usability of an Optimized Website for a Local Coffee Business

Abstract

A survey by the Pew Research Center (2011) found 55% of American adults rely on the Internet as a primary source of information for restaurants and local businesses, with its ability to quickly sort and personalize data such as what cafés nearby might be widely praised and patronized by online peers. As the Internet becomes prevalent throughout the consumer’s purchasing journey, website usability is crucial for the survival of local businesses with online presence. The purpose of this usability study was to evaluate an optimized website for a local and independent coffee business known as The Curb (http://thecurbco.com). With the affordance of web analytics to capture customer information, three website design iterations were created for optimized landing pages. An open-source web tool known as SurveyMonkey was instrumental in creating and distributing anonymous pre- and post-surveys to six participants. They were asked to complete a series of task scenarios using the “thinking aloud” method while their computer screen and audio were recorded for quantitative and qualitative analysis. Usability metrics were defined by the ISO 9241-11 standard providing guidance on measuring the effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction. The results identified usability issues with the website’s navigational menu, suggesting further design iterations to optimize and improve The Curb’s website usability.