|
Jennifer Thomson, Usability Specialist, The Usability Company.
With much anticipation, Napster recently launched their legal, paid music download service in the UK, www.napster.co.uk , after making its US debut back in October 2003.
Let Downs - There were several usability issues experienced when getting started with Napster:
- It is difficult to register and contact Napster
Napster promotes a free trial period of the service and users must enter their credit card details when registering; however, there is no (obvious) information on how to avoid a subscription fee once the trial period ends. There are no contact telephone numbers, only a "help request form" which limits users to 250 characters to explain their query. Users need explicit details regarding any payments and it should be easy to resolve questions.
- It is not clear how to start using Napster
After logging into Napster, users see a standard homepage with links for top albums, tracks and artists - but nothing that distinguishes the service. From this same page, it is also not clear where a user would go to start finding and downloading music. The service should differentiate itself here, defining its unique services, and guide people on how to use Napster.
- The navigation is not always clear
The colour and location of the top and bottom global navigation links causes them to blend into the site's background, risking being missed by users. Additionally, the use of arrows is confusing, as it is not clear where they take the user. Navigation should stand out on the page and its purpose should be intuitive to users.
Good Points - Once users figure out how to get started, Napster rewards them with many good features:
- Users can listen to songs automatically
After finding a specific track, users are instantly rewarded by being able to listen to a song simply by double-clicking on a song's title or dragging the song into the playlist area. This process is easy and fast, as is the process of organising playlists and downloading them.
- There are a variety of ways for users to find songs
Users can search, use the featured homepage links or browse through various lists to find music. The lists allow users to narrow their options by genre, view UK charts and view Napster's top downloads. There are numerous ways for users to find music, exposing them to old and new music. Additionally, once users are on an album/artist's page, recommendations based on what "Other Members Like…" are provided. These navigational techniques help people use the site in the manner which best suits them."
- The service is generally easy and enjoyable to use
Demonstrating the value Napster can provide, using the service often feels like a hybrid of surfing the web, listening to music and buying CDs - all at the same time. The service has seamlessly combined the different uses people will have for the service. The result is an enjoyable service which lets people develop their own technique for using it.
OVERALL
The new Napster has many great features such as the ease in which playlists can be created, organised and burned onto CDs; the ability to browse top UK tracks from two decades; and the seamless way in which users can navigate from artist to album to track and back.
Unfortunately, getting started with the new Napster is a cumbersome process which may discourage new users. The lack of information on getting started and the costs involved, and even the difficulty in contacting someone in customer services could all prove detrimental to Napster's new UK service. However, for those who do persevere, it will be well worth it.
This audit appeared in the July edition of Internet World. Would you like The Usability Company to assess how well your website shapes up? Then please drop the editor of Internet World a line at:
Return to newsletter
|
