Jon-Browne [Posted by Jonathan Browne]

If you've read any of Forrester's reports on the state of Web site experiences, you will know that we see a lot of flawed Web sites. (And you probably have personal experience of sub-par Web sites that confirms that assertion).

We've been teaching our 25-criteria methodology for ten years (we've updated it six times during that period) to cliients who want a method for identifying problems in value, navigation, presentation and trust on their sites. But during this recession, clients told us they wanted something even more focused – shorter, quicker, cheaper, easier to do.

Our response? A new workshop and some new research that Forrester clients will see very soon.

[Update – Jun 4 – The research is out now Top 10 Web Design Fixes For Improving Business Results]

We looked at our existing, rigorous review method and we asked ourselves – "Which of these criteria do we see most often across all the sites we review? And which flaws are pretty simple to find and fix? And, finally, which of these criteria deliver the biggest impact on business results?" We narrowed things down to ten test criteria for which we have very robust ROI cases, backed up by plenty of examples .

Harley Manning is going to publish a document soon which will explain our rationale for this new methodology and provide examples of good and bad designs to make things crystal clear. We're also running two workshops in June – one in London and one in Cambridge (MA) – to train clients in the "top ten" methodology and do some interactive exercises so that participants will actually review their own sites.

Top Ten Web Design Fixes Workshop London – 17, June, 2009 (led by Jonathan Browne) – http://www.forrester.com/events/eventdetail?eventID=2361

Top Ten Web Design Fixes Workshop Cambridge (MA) – 18, June, 2009 (led by Megan Burns) – http://www.forrester.com/events/eventdetail?eventID=2279

I'm hosting the London workshop, and I'm pretty excited to be the first Forrester analyst to introduce this method to our clients. Please take a look at the event page on our Web site – and please mention this workshop to  friends and colleagues who would benefit from learning how to find and fix the ten problems that most sites have, that are easy to spot and worth it to fix. This workshop will be great for them – and I predict that the people who pursue this kind of tactical, low-cost, high-impact agenda during this recession will be indispensable to their companies.