by Michael Lambur This session outlines a process and tools for evaluating websites. The focus will be on identifying the purpose of the website, creating appropriate evaluation questions, and selecting appropriate tools to enhance website usability, determine website usage, and solicit feedback from users.

1. Website Evaluation
Michael Lambur, Ph.D.
eXtension Evaluation and Research Leader
Virginia Cooperative Extension
NETC
May 31, 2012
New Orleans, LA

2. Session agenda
 Identify the purpose of your website and
translate into evaluation questions
 Collecting data
 Usability testing
 Google Analytics
 Online Surveys
 Social media
 Online focus groups

3. Identify the purpose of your website
and translate into evaluation
questions
 What do you want to achieve with
individuals who visit your website?
 Convey information
 Create awareness
 Increase knowledge
 Change behaviors

4. Identify the purpose of your website
and translate into evaluation
questions
 Convey information and create
awareness
 What is the volume of access on the site?
 What do they access?
 How long do they spend on the site?
 Where do they come from?

5. Identify the purpose of your website
and translate into evaluation
questions
 Convey information and create
awareness
 How did you discover this website?
 How often do you access information on
the web on this topic?
 How useful is this information?
 How would you rate the usefulness of this
information compared to other
websites/information sources?

6. Identify the purpose of your website
and translate into evaluation
questions
 Increase knowledge
 To what extent did individuals’ interacting
with the website increase their
knowledge/learn more about the topic?

7. Identify the purpose of your website
and translate into evaluation
questions
 Change behaviors
 To what extent did individuals’ interacting
with the website change their behaviors on
the topic?

8. Collecting data
 Usability testing
 Analytics (site usage)
 Google Analytics
 Feedback from users
 Online survey applications
 Social media
 Online focus groups

9. Usability testing
 Can be done face-to-face or through an
online service
 Online services
 User Testing
 TryMyUI
 Need to create a set of tasks they work
through (15 minutes max) and up to four
questions to which they respond

10. Usability testing – User
Testing

11. Usability testing – User
Testing

12. Usability testing – User
Testing

13. Analytics - Google Analytics

14. Feedback from users - Online
survey applications
 Zoomerang, Survey Monkey,
InstantSurvey
 Imbedded link to a survey on the website
 Engage users through other
complimentary mediums (e.g., webinars,
blogs, Facebook, twitter) and follow-up
with an online survey

20. Feedback from users - Social
media
 Twitter
 Facebook
 Blogs

21. Feedback from users – Online
focus groups

22. Resources
 Dillman, Don. A. (2007). Mail and
internet surveys: The tailored design
method. Second edition. John Wiley &
Sons: Hoboken, NJ.
 www.trymyui.com
 www.usertesting.com
 www.instantsurvey.com
 www.surveymonkey.com

23. Resources
 www.zoomerang.com
 www.adobe.com/products/acrobatconnect/