Buy 4 com Usability Analysis Amanda Recker Advisor

Buy 4. com Usability Analysis Amanda Recker Advisor: Rafael N. Patrick Human Factors & Systems Psychology Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University USABILITY TASKS INTRODUCTION Buy 4. com is an internet based platform which allows its members to make online purchases through affiliated merchants with the sole purpose of “Shopping for a Cause. ” Online shopping is designed in such a way that third parties who direct consumers to shopping merchants (i. e. Google, facebook, etc. ) receive a portion of the overall purchase. However, when a consumer utilizes Buy 4. com as their desired shopping portal and completes an eligible purchase through a supporting merchant, the consumer automatically generates a donation on behalf of their designated charity. As a Buy 4 supporter, members can support multiple causes and view their donations online with a simple click of the mouse. Since it’s launch, Buy 4 has become an important fundraising tool for nonprofit organizations all over the country whether larger or small. The goal of Buy 4. com is to allow its members to quickly and easily select a cause and begin a seamless online shopping experience in less than five minutes. Buy 4. com allows its members to actively search and select purchasable items based on merchant, prices, and donation percentages. Due to the fact that time and simplicity are major issues when it comes to online shopping, it was determined that to better serve its member, the Buy 4 experience must be as short and meaningful as possible. With that being said, the following usability analysis was conducted to better evaluated the current navigational and process flow of new and current Buy 4 members. METHOD The current usability study was a mixed subjects design which analyzed the website based on efficiency and navigation via four commonly used internet browsers; Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, and Internet Explorer. Volunteers were tasked with navigating the Buy 4 site in an attempt to accurately and efficiently complete a set of given tasks on a randomly selected browser. Prior to participation in the study, demographic information was collected to determine the users level of computer proficiency (Novice, Moderate, or Expert). In addition to the given task, participants were asked to complete a subjective user satisfaction survey to better understand how and where the site can be enhanced to make the Buy experience more enjoyable. In total, twenty-nine (N = 29, n = 7/8) volunteers were selected to complete the usability analysis. Note, one experimental group was unbalanced due to a disqualification. Morea’s Usability Analysis software was utilized throughout the evaluation to track participant’s mouse movements and active clicks while completing said given tasks and navigating the Buy 4 platforms. Task 1: Role - New Buy 4 User Objective: Become a Valid Buy 4 Member Task 2: Role - Current Buy 4 User Objective: Change Supporting Cause Task 3: Role – Current Buy 4 User Objective: Access Account Information Task 4: Role – Cause Representative Objective: Access Cause Information RESULTS CONCLUSIONS As an ongoing study, final results have yet to be concluded; however four main problem areas have been defined and expressed. They include organization, simplification, standardization, and the creation of instinctual pathways and are as follows: ORGANIZATION • Many participants were unaware that Buy 4 also offers up to date coupons for a variety of stores. So the creation of a dedicated coupon tab is suggested and expected to increase the customer base. • Customers that do not already know whom they would like to donate to are currently not able to see an overview of a cause, only a list of causes are provided. Thus, a profile page for organizations would provide a brief overview and help new users choose a rightful cause. SIMPLIFICATION • Minimizing the number of distractions, such as advertisements, and links to other parts of the site, would allow for a more easily discernible flow. • Eliminating the introduction tabs (What is Buy 4) on the current user pages would create a less cluttered site. • Currently when members click on a cause they have automatically selected that cause to donate to. Therefore, an obvious “select this cause” button is advised. STANDARDIZATION • The correlation between background colors and specific tabs is suggested in order to develop another distinction between site tabs. • Incorporating a larger search bar at the top of the page for both the ‘shop now’ tab and the ‘select a cause’ tab would alleviate the extensive search methods some participants chose. INSTINCTUAL PATHWAYS For the majority of participants it was substantially difficult to locate important portions of the site. It is suggested that more instinctual pathways are created to more easily direct users to the following: • The downloadable shopping reminder • Accessing previous selected causes • Locating the list of new stores