Using protocol analysis to evaluate the usability of a commercial web site

Despite the increasing popularity of electronic commerce, there appears to be little evidence of the methodical evaluation of the usability of commerc ial web sites. The usability of a web site defines how well and how easily a visitor, without formal training, can interact with the site. This paper reports the results of a research project, which applies a systematic quali tative technique known as protocol analysis or think aloud method, to exami ne the usability of a commercial web site. About 15 usability principles an d 3 evaluation parameters (content, navigation and interactivity) were used as a framework to analyze the verbal protocols of a sample of users intera cting with a greeting card web site. The protocols provided evidence of usa bility problems caused by crowded content, poor navigation and cumbersome i nteractivity. These results underscore the importance of two crucial usabil ity goals for commercial web sites: clear path to products and transparency of the ordering process. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserve d.