Helping Visitors find Information

The Institute for Dynamic Educational Advancement (IDEA) is a nonprofit organization working to improve the ways people interact with technology. IDEA recently conducted a study using three complementary surveys to determine how people find information online and how the experience of web site visitors can be improved. In order to understand the differences between the actual and perceived needs of end users, the three surveys focused on three different groups of subjects – nonprofit organizations, web designers, and general public (visitors).

The survey questions were designed to answer the following questions:
- What makes a web site effective?
- What factors contribute to visitors’ enjoyment of a web site? Does this vary by segments within each population?
- From a visitor’s perspective, what factors determine a quality web site?
- Are there differences between visitors’ needs as perceived by organizations and designers, and those reported by visitors themselves?

Key findings included:
- Designers tend to be too optimistic about website visitors' ability to maintain orientation
- Writing style is less important to visitors than correct spelling and grammar
- Visitors are highly focused and value fast access to information more than anything else
- Good visual design is very important
- Up-to-date information is very important
- Local search capability is becoming more important


This is the first survey that IDEA has conducted to gather information about online design and visitors’ experiences. The goal was to gain a broad understanding of visitor experience, and hence was not designed to explore any subject in detail. Future surveys may expand questions to refine this survey’s findings and to explore new concepts.

Associated Link: Download the Report: Factors that improve online experiences

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