Module 5 Case: “Jacob Nielsen should be empowered to set mandatory

usability standards for internet”

N. Veronica Marshall

Touro University

ITM 433

Computer-Human Interaction, Groupware, and Usability

Dr. Kathleen Hargiss

March 30, 2007

The problem presented in today's Internet is how to maintain the audiences'

attention long enough for them to receive our message. According to Jakob

Nielsen, we will solve this problem by writing concise text, write skimmable text,

write objectives and clear text, and write with design in mind. I will now prove his

theory to be true. After researching several websites over the holidays, I have

found one that I believe was built on these principles. The target audience and

the complexity of the information, that this site provides, they prove that even

when passing complex information on the web you can reach the masses and be

effective through this medium.

The web site I have selected is Entrepreneur. Com. I have been through this

entire site and have found it most interesting. It encompasses a large variety of

business opportunities and information on how to run your own business.

Business people as a whole are involved with and run their lives in time

management, efficiency, and they do not like to waste time. Therefore, the

question is how to build a web site that appeal to these people.

The writing on this site is very clear and to the point. This follows the guidelines

set out by Jakob Nielsen. Writing concise text is of paramount importance when

communicating with business people. The web site has accomplished this in fine

fashion. This site has very few adjectives and wasted words. It is formatted in a

reverse pyramid style to put the most important facts first. Here is an example of

some of the writing on the site: What stage are you in, How to create a marketing
plan, Anticipating growth, Small business and Relief act on hold are just some of

the headings that this web page uses and draws the attention of the reader.

Skimmable text is a key component of any web site. If I wanted to read vast

amounts of information on a subject, I can read a book. When I am surfing, I

want to know the facts about the information presented, or what they perceive as

the facts. Remember just because it is written does not make it the truth. I find

this to be true on many websites that I visit. This site can be scanned quickly and

easily. It is written on a level that even non-business people can understand.

The use of keywords, sub headers, bulleted lists and short paragraphs are

widespread and used through continually throughout this web site. Here is some

examples of key words; Opportunities, Subscribe, Newsletters, Small biz books,

and Starting out. Sub headers are used through the site and are designed to

spark curiosity and imagination. Interact; Opportunities, Management, Money

and Finance, Sales and marketing are some of the sub headers that they use.

On this medium, there are several hyper-links to other portions of the web site. A

unique finding of this site is that every page has an internal search engine so you

can skip from topic to topic located in different parts of the Internet site.

This site is about business and is written in a very clear text. The objectives are

passed on in a very professional manner. There is very little flash or fancy

graphics, just creditable information presented in a quick, clear, and

comprehensible format. The site has simple sentence structure and does not use

the business acronyms or industry specific terms.

The designers of this web site were very exact about the information and

presentation of it on this site. When they wrote it, they had the design in mind. I

am sure that it cost them a pretty penny to have it done. It is true, that this site is

a bit text- heavy. This site is not selling lamps, toys, or widgets. It is offering

franchises and the information on businesses that support this concept. The text

definitely fits the design of this web site. Business people as a rule, think in two

and three-dimensional realms. The material we analyze, we expect it to be in a

clear format with a no nonsense approach. We do not mind a little humor with our

material but we are here to gather information, that will help us make informed

decisions, and to increase our time management and they are by save money.

In conclusion, I agreed with Jakob Nielsen’s guidelines to set mandatory

standards for internet. With the hundreds of thousands websites available for

viewing, we do not have the time to go through each and every one. Surfing

becomes our way out of this information overload. By tailoring your site to meet

the following criteria, Write concise text, write skimmable text, Clear hyperlinks to

provide users with direction, Write objective and clear text, and write with design

in mind. By using these guidelines, you will be able to effectively sell your product

or present your information in a clear and concise manner.