When I review a product, service, or website, there are specific criteria that I examine. As every industry has its own standards and expectations, I compare your product with related ones in the categories to follow. By seeing how your business stacks up against the competition, you will understand your strengths and weaknesses. You will also discover what you can do to differentiate yourself from the rest.
Your Web site is a reflection of your company and the quality of your programs and services. Maintaining a business-like image with your site will let your customers know that you are providing the best services possible. Many times users will visit your site for more information about the application or to contact you regarding issues with the application. Make sure that customers are impressed with the quality of your website and are able to easily find what they are looking for.
This criterion is determined by the features and functions of your application. What does your company provide that separates it from the competition? A product that does what the industry expects, AND THEN goes on to do something more, is providing the company and the purchaser with value.
Help is a very important aspect of the users experience with your application. If the user cannot figure out how to use or find help for your product, the likelihood of the user making a purchase is very slim. Some things that I look at are the FAQ and Q & A pages, online and offline tutorials, and help embedded clearly within the interface or website. For most companies, providing contact information such as phone and e-mail support will help to legitimatize your company and keep your customers happy. I will also test your support (anonymously) to see how service oriented they are – a key element to stepping above the competition.
I look at this area to see how customizable your application is in terms of functionality and appearance. Users have different preferences and different needs. A product that allows the client to keep the essentials close by while hiding the functions that they don’t need can prove to be very valuable.
I consider the overall features of your application in terms of functionality and ease of use. No one likes using a program that is counterintuitive.
This is an item that is considered very crucial to the sales of your application. As the internet has made it incredibly easy to shop around for the best deal, it is essential to be the best value-adding option in the industry. You can be the best value based on price, quality, service, or a variety of other factors. If your competitor has a better product than you and it is at a lower price, it will be difficult to compete.
A smooth and well-designed interface can help your users use your application more efficiently; therefore we take into consideration the usability of the tools and customization options within the application.
