Introduction
Many people have participated in the development of heuristics for systems to check acceptability for the user of system, one of the best source for this purpose is Nielsen’s Heuristics. Rolf Molich and Jakob Nielsen developed heuristics which were mostly used in the field of user interface design. Nielsen in 1994 refined the list by evaluating sets of heuristics. Nielsen’s Heuristics includes ten points to find out acceptability of user interaction of any system. These points are followings
2- Comparison between real world and system
3- User control and freedom to use
4- Consistency and standards
5- Errors and their prevention
6- Recognition instead of recall
7- Flexibility and efficient in use
8- Aesthetic and minimalist in design
9- Help users to diagnose, recognize and recover from errors
10- Help function and documentation
Purpose of the evaluation
website link - http://www.Dhgate.com
Basic heuristic evaluation of This Website (a Whole seller website) is completed on the bases of Nielsen’s heuristics. The main purpose of evaluation is to categorized This Website using Nielsen’s heuristics ten points and suggest recommendation to make this website more acceptable for user. This Process involve focusing on user interface of website with reference to Nielsen’s heuristics points to derived a analysis and usability problems. In general This Website displays main information for user in a user friendly and integrated format. There are some main problems with the consistency of website pages. A solution for these issue can be provide with a consistent user friendly interface with the help of standardized terms on web pages and dynamic control over content of pages. A proper study for evaluation of This Website involve multiple evaluators and testing of usability is recommended for generating more reliable results in order to generate further improvements.
Evaluation of This Website using Nielsen’s Heuristics
We need to focus on preliminary heuristic evaluation for the user interface of a website domain name This Website used by a China whole seller stores. The process of evaluation of This Website start with an informal evaluation. This process involved access to webpage of website. Then a more formal evaluation is required. This process involves focusing on the user interaction of website by the view of its usability heuristics which are derived from the analysis of occurring problems. This result in providing a set of guidance rules for developers and designers for producing more user friendly interface for a multiple users. For Nielsen’s heuristics inspection first we have to drive test cases as a single user. Afterwards the process of evaluation conducted by multiple users need to perform evaluations. The best process for evaluating of a whole seller website is to focus on its usability evaluation which involves actual buyer attempt to perform multiple tasks using website pages while performance of website is collected. There are many problems in setting Nielsen’s heuristics in a short time as payments also involve in the process of evaluation. We also need to provide feedback on the user buying from This Website. Another more comprehensive study for evaluation involve usability testing. More formal methods should be conducted in order to generate analysis results that give guidance for improvements of user interface in This Website. It will be useful for the user to have better understanding of typical user’s situation and its tasks. This Website is used to buy cheap products from a whole sale store so the evaluator should be focusing on user interface as a buyer of any specified product.
General description of This Website user interface
This Website serves as a kind of whole seller store database which provide information to relevant buyers around the world to their products and gives a wide variety of products.
Figure show This Website main page.
The main page of this website as shown in above figure is focusing on products that are in high demands by buyers and currently there best selling products. On the left of page we find more detailed options that let us choose many category of products. These categories help user to find required product and its sub products directly. On the top of the page many options can be seen as join free for new users to be part of This Website, sign in to sign in for existing users it allows them to add products to their charts, community option allows to connect to This Website forums, face book option helps buyers to be connected to This Website and the option of This Website blogs helps buyers to obtain information and be part of discussion for products.
ALL category View of This Website: This Website allow you to have more specified access to the products by selecting all categories view. This allows you to choose category of your product easily. In general we can see that the main page of This Website has succeeded in bringing relevant information together in one webpage which makes this website as one stop shop for customers. The option in left menu has highlights category in a comprehensive way. There are multiple options for getting enquiry about any product which includes search bar, category list and main page icons of products. This Website provide understandable terms, event status, activities and a best method of switching between web pages. Search bar on the middle top of the page help user to quickly go to the desired product which makes access to the product faster. Other web pages are linked to main page for the purpose of easily access.
Expert Review (Heuristic Evaluation)
Now we focus on comparison of ten heuristics proposed by Nielsen and User interface and usability of This Website.
The system should keep users informed about status as what is in process, through system feedback within reasonable time.
This Website: As a user, it is clear when one has left This Website by updating status as soon as user log out of the website it update status of user. Status view must be shown with more bold letters as it is so small that user need to look for it on page. Another solution is that whenever user sign out from page it should display another page with options as please login and another option of go to main web page.
2- Comparison between real world and system
The system should speak with user in users’ language, with simple words, phrases, and concepts that are familiar to the user. System should not focus on only using system-oriented terms, it should be flexible in terms of language. System should make information appear in a natural order, logical order and use real world terms.
This Website: Within the This Website pages, the terms used in this website seem to be sensibly chosen and appropriate for the users. I found that the main page of the This Website is initially very clear to user as user can easily understand that the content are as per his requirement. Questions of website interface affect how well web pages speaks to the user in his language. Language option at the right most top helps users to select their language from a list of ten languages. There seemed to be little rationale as why particular buttons are placed in particular locations. No organized titles were provided for some columns of buttons as language option can also be made more user friendly by given flags of country attached to language option. This website should help the user by giving menu page simply with small icons (images) specially in category list at the left side of the main page.
3- User control and freedom to use
Users can choose system functions by any mistake and will need clearly exit to leave the unwanted state directly without going through an extended dialogue. System should support functions of undo and redo.
This Website: The website in case of less response have not any lighter version as in case of slow response from server user is unable to switch and web page will be crashed. One should allow the user to have safe exit and move towards an emergency page.
4- Consistency and standards
Users should not have to assume different situations, words or actions meaning same things. System should Follow standard conventions.
This Website: Web pages at This Website consistently follow the idea of whole seller store. But there are problems with the consistency of information while visiting some pages for payment as at this stage it seems some other website rather than whole seller website.
5- Errors and their prevention
Good error messages prevents a problem to expend.
This Website: As a web site, there are few error messages except those that occur when a page cannot load. There are many error messages are used in the pages of This Website to prevent any loss of information. Such as In case a user try to buy anything but does not have sufficient balance system shows a clear message or someone try to find any product that website does not deal with it shows clearly error message of no record found.
6- Recognition instead of recall
Make objects, options and actions visible. The user should not need to remember any data or information from one part of the website to another. Instructions for usability of the system should be easily retrievable whenever needed.
This Website: In This Website user is able to open multiple pages in new tabs this means that user has no need to remembered any information form one page and link it to another page. Although it is good to open multiple web pages in multiple tabs, managing all tabs may become problematic for user.
7- Flexibility and efficient in use
Accelerators may speed up the interaction for experience user to such extent that system can cater to both experienced and inexperienced users.
Dhagte.com: It has provided short links and menus for user to directly go to payment page after selecting their product. This makes fasten process for buying any product and help all type of users. This Website have another option to save items to your list so that in case you like any product you can add it to your item list so the product is saved as whenever you want to buy it you do not need to search it again. Just login and you will be able to see your saved product and now you can pay for it and get delivery.
8- Aesthetic and minimalist in design
This Website: The web site appears fine in this regard. As everything in the website is about whole seller store and nothing extra or irrelevant is added. All options help in the goal of web site to get attracted by the customers for specified list of products.
9- Help users to diagnose, recognize and recover from errors
Error messages in case of any problem should be expressed in user language and it should precisely indicate the issue and suggest best solution.
This Website: This Website has one of the most advanced error message schemes and in case of any problem it immediately gives error to user and error are in simple text so that user is able to understand and act accordingly. As in any case of deliver of goods failure or any other issue customer can directly send message and contact support services to resolve issue on immediately basis.
10- Help function and documentation
It is better to use any system without documentation but it may be necessary to provide documentation in order to help new users. These documents should have to be system oriented.
This Website: On the top right of on the main page of This Website help option is provided. This help option provide help with help center support and user can send message directly to support team by selecting option of Message This Website.
Findings of evaluation
The evaluation using Heuristic Evaluation helped us to critically view the user interface of this website. Although This Website has one of the best user interface which helps a lot to its customer by its friendly user interface. Still the evaluator as a customer of This Website had some difficulty in viewing status of current activity. Menus on the left of main page only showing text for selecting multiple categories and pages regarding payments seems not a part of whole seller website while Blogs of This Website is not categorized as main web site is categorized.
Recommendations
This Website should show status of current activity with more bold text. Menus should also provide small icons which will give better visibility for user to select any category. Pages for payment options need to be design in contrast to other pages of website. Blog of This Website need to be categorized as the products on main page of website. There is a need to fully implement Nielsen's Heuristics to reduce problems in user operations and visibility. A more lighter version of webpage will be helpful for customer with low internet connections.
Conclusion
Nielsen's Heuristics ten points helps us to monitor user acceptance of any system. This Website as a website of whole seller store mostly follow Nielsen's Heuristics through its web pages. There are some issues as in some points the user interface of website does not fully follow Nielsen's Heuristics that lead to user difficulty in acceptance of system. These issues can be easily removed by acting on the recommendations given in our research paper and this website can be more better so that its customer can find more confidence on its products.
