Importance of Website Usability
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Please help me with my final paper. I have attached the previous sample section and final paper outline. please expand the sample section. and the final paper needs abstract.
This 10-16 page research brief will enable you to pursue a specific topic related to the digital media in which you have personal interest. It may be some aspect we have studied in class or one we have not studied. Your assignment is to write research brief on the topic. The key skill you should have from this is being able to apply empirical research findings to a situation or problem you might encounter at work. This assignment is worth 80 points.
A research brief summarizes the state of the current research on a given topic, and it also provides some recommendations about what actions might be beneficial for your target audience. You can choose your target audience for this paper – it might be your current employer, in which case you would summarize the topic and make specific recommendations to improve practices. If your topic does not apply to your current profession, you can think about writing for the public and making recommendations that are beneficial for society.
Make sure your paper makes a clear argument, and that you forecast that argument in the introduction and restate it in the conclusion. Remember to cite all claims using APA format. Attach a cover sheet and abstract. The abstract should summarize the main argument. See the documents for guidelines on how to write a final paper and the final paper rubric to learn how you will be graded on your assignment.
The writing style for this assignment should be less technical and academic and more general. Because a key skill you should have from this is being able to apply empirical research findings to a situation or problem you might encounter at work, you will want to think about how to communicate best to your target audience. You must learn how to translate these findings into language that is understandable for your target audience, which may very well be others who are not well versed in research.
Your assignment should include:
APA style title page
Abstract
Main text
Reference list
Guidelines
Overview of paper sections:
Introduction: Your paper should begin with a short introduction that explains why the topic you have chosen is important and interesting and forecasts the main argument of the paper. Your introduction should also provide a clear roadmap of what you will present in your paper.
1) Try to summarize/preview the main question of your paper in the first paragraph.
2) Dedicate a couple of paragraphs to why your topic is important. It is okay to be explicit by using a paragraph that starts: “This topic is important because…” Think about who will benefit from reading your paper and what knowledge will be gained. Communicate who can use the information of your review and how they can use it.
3) It is okay to use evidence from popular literature to make the claim that your study is important. Consider using statistics. Support all claims with empirical evidence.
4) Make sure you define any key terms. Give one best definition. If the definition is controversial, then explain why you have chosen the definition you have chosen. Usually definitions have citations.
5) Give readers important background about your topic. Only give enough so that they will understand the study. They do not need the whole history of your topic.
6) Provide a road map of what your reader can expect in your paper.
Literature Review: The main body of your paper should be organized conceptually using APA heading styles. Include at least three sections with three or four studies in each section. Each section should have a key point, argument, or finding that is supported by the studies you choose. Refer back to your final paper outline to keep your ideas organized. Make sure each section has a brief introduction and conclusion that summarizes the main findings in that section.
For each study that you include, say a few words about how the study was conducted and then give the results of the study. Be sure to link the main finding to the key point of that section. Make sure you use transitions between studies to show how they relate to each other.
1) Start your literature review with a paragraph that previews what we know on the basis of the literature.
2) Divide your literature review into sections. Include three or four sections, each with three or four studies. The sections should be conceptual. Use APA headings to divide the sections. Begin each section with a summary argument that states one idea that all of the studies in that section support.
3) Make sure you describe the key details for each study. Tell us what the researchers did and what they found. Do not tell us about their literature review or what they think the implications are. Make sure you mention critical ideas that help the reader evaluate the study (How many subjects? Was the sample random?).
4) Don’t just say there is a relationship between two variables. Always say the direction of the relationship. For example, don’t say “humor and attention are related.” Say “humor and attention are positively related.”
5) Use transitions between studies that explain how one study relates to the next. Usually transitions explain how the conclusions in the studies are related.
6) At the end of each section, include a summary statement that articulates what one idea all of the studies in that section argue.
7) If a study touches on ideas that are not relevant to your paper don’t mention those results or that aspect of the study.
8) If a study is relevant to two or more sections mention the study in both sections.
Analysis/Recommendations: The final section of your paper should be a summary and analysis of the state of the literature. What do we know about your topic based on the literature taken as a whole? This summary is the main argument of your paper. It is a statement about what we know based on the literature. Review the main points in a few paragraphs. You may also want to consider pointing out any shortcomings of the studies. Following this review, you should a few paragraphs about the implications of the research and findings for communication practitioners working in this topic area. Based on what we know, what would you recommend as action steps that communication practitioners can use to improve the situation? What would you say to someone who is working in this area? (Note: This section is worth the most points in the final paper.)
*At the end of literature review, present a summary that articulates the main argument from each section. Follow this statement about what we know with a presentation of what we do not know.
*Critique shortcomings of the studies, if any.
*Provide an analysis of the research you have just presented: what are the key themes that emerge? What would you tell someone about this topic? What are the implications of the research for communication professionals who work in this topic area?
*What would you recommend to these professionals? You may want to consider how larger trends in digital communication interact with these findings (think the larger topics we covered in the first half of class: digital divide, usability, credibility, demographics related to use). Make sure you provide clear, specific recommendations.
Conclusion: Include a conclusion paragraph where you restate the main points of your paper.
Restate the main points of your paper and provide a brief summary of your argument and recommendations. This should be a summary of your entire paper and be about one to two paragraphs.
Final Paper: Importance of Usability
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Final Paper: Importance of Usability
Abstract
This paper explores the importance of website usability. Exploring this topic was considered necessary because the success or failure of a website depends on its usability. A detailed literature review was conducted, and the results were as follows: (1) Web usability positively influences customers' (users') trust and credibility, (2) web usability has a positive relationship with user satisfaction, and (3) web usability is positively but indirectly linked to purchase and repurchase intentions. The implications of these findings to communication practitioners call for more attention to usability when using websites for communication and public relations. They should enhance website usability through an effective content organization, multiple languages, and relevant and informative content dispersion.
I. Introduction
Usability influences website success because it influences user-friendliness, competitiveness, and survival. This topic is important because, according to Weichbroth (2020), the usability of a website or a web application determines its success or failure. After all, users judge a website based on its ease of use and establish whether it is a good website. Based on their findings, they decide whether they would frequently visit it or not. Website usability is defined as the ease of use of a website, and it is measured in terms of efficiency and effectiveness through which a user can achieve their goal on the website (Ganiyu et al., 2017). This paper explores the literature on website usability. The focus will be mainly on three key areas: Web usability and customers' (users') trust and credibility, web usability and user satisfaction, and web usability and purchase and repurchase intentions. The paper will also provide analysis, recommendation, and conclusion for practitioners based on the findings from the literature review.
II. Body
Website usability is essential not only to users but also to businesses that run/own websites. Literature reveals that website usability allows users to efficiently and effectively achieve their goals with ease (Weichbroth, 2020). It also promotes the website's success from a developer/ business perspective because the information on the website can be accessed easily by users (Sparks, 2019), who are the target of any website.
A. Usability Enhances Trust and Credibility
Websites are paramount in connecting customers and businesses. However, websites must be trustworthy and credible to ensure visitors become customers. Users need to know that the information shared on the website is credible and trustworthy, and businesses must enhance this trust and credibility. One way of developing trust and credibility among website visitors is through usability. Existing literature reveals that website usability improves users' trust in a website and its perceived credibility.
Akhmedova et al. (2021) conducted a study investigating the factors that promote trust and credibility in the sharing economy and how these factors combine to ensure website visitors become loyal customers. The sharing economy relies heavily on trust because the service providers and customers usually do not know each other prior to the transaction. Akhmedova et al. (2021) used a qualitative comparative analysis methodology to obtain information from 235 sharing economy users. The authors collected data through an online platform from participants from the United Kingdom, Australia, United States, Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands. Their study revealed some of the antecedents of website trust and credibility among the sharing economy users. They include perceived website usability and website quality. Specifically, the authors found that the website facilitates both interpersonal and platform trust antecedents in the sharing economy. The success of the sharing economy is influenced by users' ability to trust both the platform and the peer service providers. The results indicate that web usability is a determinant of trust in both the platform and the service providers. They suggest that website usability plays an instrumental role in building and enhancing trust among users in the sharing economy platforms.
Also, Akhmedova et al. (2021) found that platforms can enhance the credibility of the sharing economy through web usability. Web usability allows platforms to verify the key information of users and smoothen the process through which users select peer service providers. Further, the authors found that when website usability is high, it becomes possible to enhance trust and credibility because usability facilitates self-presentation and the use of personal photos for identification and verification on the website. This credibility is crucial in the survival of the sharing economy platforms because they rely on interpersonal trust between users and service providers. Such platforms must capitalize on developing website usability to promote trust and credibility among users and service providers.
Further, Shehzad et al. (2017) investigated the connection between website usability on e-commerce platforms and trust levels among potential customers. However, unlike the study by Akhmedova et al. (2021), which was conducted in six different countries, the study by Shehzad et al. (2017) was conducted in Pakistan. Just like Akhmedova et al. (2021), Shehzad et al. (2017) acknowledged that trust is very instrumental in e-commerce platforms because the buyers and sellers are strangers, and most times, there are no physical locations to track the participants if something goes wrong. Thus, the websites need to be trustworthy and credible to facilitate transactions and repeat purchases. Shehzad et al. (2017) conducted an experiment involving 120 participants to establish the level of trust and usability of e-commerce websites among end-users.
The key findings by Shehzad et al. (2017) are as follows:
* There are major web usability issues that influence the level of trust among end-users. These include the level of comfort while using the websites, the ability to find products on the websites, the ease of use of the websites, the availability of help in case the user needs assistance navigating the website, and the ability to compare products on the website. Other website features such as font and color also influence the usability of e-commerce websites and, ultimately, the trust levels of users visiting the websites. In addition, the lack of user reviews, product ratings, and consumer feedback options on the website influence usability and, consequently, users' trust levels.
* Shoppers in Pakistan hardly use e-commerce websites to purchase items. They only visit the websites to browse and establish the prices of products and the latest trends. The authors attributed this to low trust levels due to poor web usability on e-commerce platforms. These low trust levels explain why users, not just in Pakistan but in other countries, often visit e-commerce platforms, place some items in their shopping carts, and exit the website without purchasing the items.
* Web usability directly and positively influences users' trust, such that the higher the usability, the higher the trust among users regarding a specific website. This is especially true in e-commerce, where physical interaction is absent, and buyers and sellers depend on their trust in the platform they use for commerce.
Similarly, Oyibo and Vassileva (2017) investigated the interconnectedness between aesthetics, usability, and credibility in website designs. They also explored how gender moderates this interconnectedness. Unlike the study by Akhmedova et al. (2021) and Shehzad et al. (2017), which focused on web usability in the sharing economy, this study focused on web usability in mobile web designs. It also incorporated the aspect of gender to examine the effect of web usability on credibility between men and women. Oyibo and Vassileva (2017) conducted a multicultural study among 526 participants from North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. The authors found that perceived website usability plays a significant role in predicting the perceived credibility of a website among users. Specifically, the findings from the study were as follows:
* Website aesthetics influence website usability. Specifically, the effects of web aesthetics on web usability were more substantial among men than women. This finding rejected the hypothesis that aesthetics influence usability more among women than men. In this study, aesthetics refer to the visual appeal or attractiveness of the website, and the results imply that among men, a website is considered to have high usability if it is visually attractive.
* Website aesthetics and usability influence credibility. Specifically, the authors found that web aesthetics had a more substantial influence on credibility than web usability, especially among women. Thus, even though website aesthetics were not as influential among women as men concerning web usability, aesthetics were meaningful among women concerning credibility. These findings imply that women consider web aesthetics more important than men regarding web credibility. However, the authors also found that web usability directly affects web credibility. Specifically, web usability influenced web credibility more strongly among men than women. These findings show that when it comes to web credibility, web usability is a more significant consideration among men than women.
* There is an interconnectedness among web aesthetics, usability, and credibility. Web aesthetics positively enhance web usability and credibility, while web usability positively enhances web credibility.
In conclusion, the literature review indicates that web usability affects the trust and credibility of websites. However, many factors are at play and need to be considered when using web usability to enhance trust and credibility. For instance, web designers must address some significant issues affecting web usability. These include users' comfort while navigating the site, ease of use, ability to find and compare products, and availability of assistance. Also, web designers must consider the role of gender in web usability and credibility. They must assess factors influencing web usability among men and women and incorporate these factors to enhance web usability and, ultimately, web credibility. They must improve web aesthetics to increase web usability among men to ensure that website credibility is enhanced. The overall goal should be to enhance user trust and website credibility by improving website usability.
B. Improves Customer/User Satisfaction
Website usability improves the satisfaction of customers (users) because it facilitates efficient and effective access to information from the website to meet their goals. User satisfaction is especially important because, according to Miraz et al. (2017), the success of a business depends mainly on repeated transactions. Yet, repeated transactions only occur if the customer is satisfied with the initial transaction.
Dianat et al. (2019) conducted a five-month study on the effect of website usability on user satisfaction among online banking users. They utilized questionnaires to obtain demographic, web usability, and user satisfaction data from 798 participants. They found that website usability is vital in informing users' satisfaction in the banking sector. Specifically, lower levels of web usability were associated with lower user satisfaction. However, they also found that user's level of education influenced the perceived usability of websites. Website usability was high, particularly among users with lower education levels compared to those with high education levels. Overall, Dianat et al. (2019) found that web usability was unsatisfactory among users, affecting their adoption of online banking. As such, web developers should put in more effort when designing banking websites to enhance website usability and improve customer satisfaction.
Similarly, Karani et al. (2021) explored the effect of website usability on user satisfaction. However, their study focused on web usability and satisfaction among university students. They utilized a cross-sectional study design to conduct the study. Structured questionnaires were used to obtain data from 577 university students about their satisfaction levels based on the usability of their university’s website. They established that the various dimensions of website usability (content, readability, organization, navigation, user interface, effectiveness, and performance) positively influenced user satisfaction. Specifically, they found that content, readability, and organization had the most positive effect on user satis...
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