Beyond surveys and focus groups: usability testing can help you hone your Web site design.

Usability testing goes beyond surveys, Web trend analysis, and focus groups by providing direct observation of how people interact with a site. The process can be informal and inexpensive, involving a few participants and a Web designer. Or it can be more formal, using special technology and professional usability analysts. But even a relatively casual usability test can give Web designers information about the site that they can't get in any other way.