Smashing Mag has a great usability study up right now, that is worth a look. Basically, the authors picked a few department stores and decided to note their experience shopping for sheets online. The results were intriguing and surprising given how big-time the vendors were (Macy’s, Target, etc).

This got me thinking, what would a usability study look like on our churches or non-profits organizations websites. I have already begun working on a similar article, but for now, you can do one on your own. Below are few key questions and guidelines to follow while doing your study. Post the results when you’re finished.

1. Clear your browsers cache and cookies, at least for your site. These things will most-likely prevent you from experiencing your site the way a first-time visitor would.

2. What is the first thing you notice graphically? Is it a positive or negative feeling? What is the first piece of text you read?

3. Pretend you want more info on the church or organization. Note how many clicks and how much time you spend looking for the answer to service times, directions, and beliefs questions.

4. Now try giving online. How easy is it to find? How many steps does it take?

5. Do you have a contact form on your site? How easy is it to find? How well does it work? Where does it go?

That should be enough to get you started. A broken website is worse than no website at all, it is important to continually evaluate how effective yours is.