Web Usability and Its Business Impact in United Arab Emirates

Web Usability and its Business Impact
K. V. Shailesh
GAPR11IT081
Neha Manhas
GAPR11IT061
Acknowledgement
We would like to express our gratitude all people who have helped, guided, encouraged
and appreciated us at various stages of this applied research project. This research
would not have been completed successfully without their support.
We express our special thanks to our mentor and guide Dr. Dhrupad Mathur for guiding
and supporting us throughout this project. His contribution in helping us frame our
objectives and guiding us through the methodology to adopt for the study is highly
appreciated.
We express our gratitude to our co-mentor Ms. Shrimantika Nathroy for supporting us
through the course of the project. She guided us in capturing a detailed project lifecycle
on the BlackBoard. We would also like to thank Ms. Richa Anant for helping us prepare
all the reports for this project and also for guiding us in our project presentation.
We are thankful to our industry experts who gave us their valuable time to talk about
Web Usability scenario in UAE. Their valuable insights provided us a clear vision of
moving ahead with the project. Special thanks to Mr. Husam Jandal from WSI, Mr.
Jewin Lopez from Flydubai and Mr. Husain Hakim from Al Zawya for their valuable
contribution to this research.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our respondents of surveys who have
helped us in gathering the required information and enriched this report with their
valuable comments.
We would also like to thank Mr. Umesh Kothari, for teaching us the nuances of
conducting a quantitative and qualitative survey.
We would like to also thank the faculty and staff of SP Jain Center of Management for
the constant support and guidance throughout our stay in Dubai.
Declaration
We hereby declare that this report titled Web Usability and its Business Impact, is the
result of study and interviews carried out by us. We further declare that this is our
original work and has not been published anywhere before.
This Project Work has been carried out for the sole purpose of submission towards
partial fulfillment of Global Masters in Business Administration (GMBA) program at SP
Jain Center of Management, Dubai.
The above is true to the best of our knowledge and understanding.
We have read, understood, signed and submitted the SP Jain Code of Ethics.
Copyright Assignment
[Note: This is an "All-Rights" transfer of copyright, i.e., assignor relinquishes all rights
under copyright]
FOR GOOD AND VALUABLE CONSIDERATION, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged,
the Project team ("Assignor"), hereby irrevocably transfers and assigns to S. P. Jain
Centre of Management ("Assignee"), located at Dubai, Singapore, Sydney, its successors
and assigns, in perpetuity, all right (whether now known or hereinafter invented), title,
and interest, throughout the world, including any copyrights and renewals or extensions
thereto, in Web Usability and its Business Impact.
IN WITNESS THEREOF, Assignor has duly executed this Agreement.
Date:
Assignor: Project Team:
----------------------------------------------Project Mentor:
--------------------------
Executive Summary
Making the simple complicated is
commonplace. Making the complicated
simple,
awesomely
simple,
that's
creativity.- Charles Mingus
In todays fast moving world our day starts
and ends with gadgets, appliances or
instruments like toasters, televisions, cars,
air conditioners, mobiles etc. that make
our life simple and comfortable. Imagine a
world where the gadgets that we daily are
not simple enough to use and involve
considerable amount of time and energy
to operate each time we use it. Life would
Figure 1: Visualization of World Wide Web
just not be the same! For decades, science
and technology has been working hard to make human life simpler.
Usability has always been a part of the development process. It is a quality attribute that
ensures the application is simple and easy to use by the consumer. With the growing Internet
users, the world is more connected than ever. As per the Internet World Statistics (March 2011),
the Internet penetration of the world is 30.5%. With growing e-commerce activities worldwide
the revenue earned from these transactions increased many folds, and web usability became
the jargon of the time. As said by Jakob Nielson, Web Usability makes user interfaces easy to
use.
The promising growth of Internet using population in UAE from 20% to 76% in a decade (2001 to
2010) unleashes the potential of e-commerce activities in this market. The major online
activities carried out by the users in UAE are using search engines, accessing social networking
sites or using instant messaging. Thus there was a gap identified in the usage patterns of the
users in UAE who do not consider Internet as a serious business channel.
As the growth of Internet in UAE has been a sudden change that happened over a very short
period of time there was not a sufficient increase in technology. UAE lacked in tapping the
potential of the excellent Internet connectivity that they enjoyed. Businesses created websites
just as an add-on to their business cards. However, post-recession trends have been changing
with an increase in awareness of Internet as an important business channel.
Intrigued by the growth of Internet in this world we decided to undertake a research with three
fold objectives- firstly to understand the motivations and barriers of web usability as a discipline
in UAE, secondly, to perform a comparative analysis of websites of competing players in
different verticals and thirdly, to identify gap areas for selected verticals and propose solutions
for improvement.

We carried out this research by both primary and secondary research methodologies. Extensive
secondary research was performed for each selected website using web analytic tools like Alexa,
web evaluation tools like FengGUI was used to generate content heat maps and filters were
used to test for color blindness. Owing to a very high mobile penetration in this region each
website was also tested for mobile readiness. As a part of the primary research, six interviews of
industry experts like web designers and usability consultants in this region were conducted to
understand their perceptions on the growth and future of web usability in UAE. For quantitative
research, five questionnaires pertaining to each vertical were rolled out to capture the user
perceptions and experience of using websites in UAE. The survey was both interviewer driven as
well as self-administered online.
The analysis of the research came out with a few expected and a few startling findings.
Consumer research identified the page load time and the link positions as the key drivers that
motivate a users decision to visit a website in UAE. Websites in the banking and hospitality
vertical being high on flash content take a lot of time to load which upsets the consumers
leading to a high bounce rate and reduced time on site. Users who visit a website on an average
for not more than 10-15 minutes, place high importance on effective placing of link positions on
a webpage helping the user complete his task on time. Incorporating effective security
infrastructure and services businesses can boost the online transactions in UAE. Even though the
region has a high Internet using population there is huge lack of awareness of usability in this
region. Lack of dedicated usability practitioners and reluctance of interest as well as investment
were identified as the two main barriers to growth of usability. Majority of usability
professionals here are expats and there is a lack of guidance, which creates a gap in
understanding the persona of a typical UAE web user.
Based on our findings we offered our recommendations aimed to help UAE organizations to tap
the immense potential of Internet as a business channel that lay unused in this region by
incorporating usability standards and making the user experience a pleasant one.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgement ......................................................................................................1
Declaration .................................................................................................................2
Executive Summary.....................................................................................................3
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................6
1.1 Internet ...................................................................................................................................... 7
1.2 Internet and UAE ....................................................................................................................... 7
Chapter 2: Literature Review .......................................................................................9

2.1 Usability ................................................................................................................................... 10
2.2 Web Usability .......................................................................................................................... 12
2.3 Web Usability in UAE ............................................................................................................... 14
Chapter 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ...................................................................... 15

3.1 Problem Identification ............................................................................................................. 16
3.2 Objectives ................................................................................................................................ 16
3.3 Benefits of Research ................................................................................................................ 17
3.4 Data Sources ............................................................................................................................ 17
3.5 Sample Size and Sampling Methodology ................................................................................ 17
3.6 Operational Definition ............................................................................................................. 18
Chapter 4: DATA ANALYSIS........................................................................................ 19

Data Analysis ................................................................................................................................. 20
4.1 Secondary Data........................................................................................................................ 20
4.1.1 Banking ............................................................................................................................. 22
4.1.2 Hospitality......................................................................................................................... 30
4.1.3 Job Portals ........................................................................................................................ 37
4.1.4 Online Shopping/Classified ............................................................................................... 43
4.1.5 Entertainment................................................................................................................... 49
4.2 Primary Data ............................................................................................................................ 55
4.2.1 Qualitative Analysis .......................................................................................................... 55
4.2.2 Quantitative Analysis........................................................................................................ 58
Chapter 5: FINDINGS ................................................................................................. 76

Chapter 6: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................. 80
Bibliography ............................................................................................................. 84
Appendix .................................................................................................................. 86
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Internet
It is hard to imagine the
world without Internet and
the World Wide Web. From
its inception in the 1960s
(ARPANET, for defense) the
Internet has touched our
lives in all possible ways.
From the Hollywood movies
like Matrix to Economic
downturn of 2008 it has
played a vital role. The web
has become an integral part
of the human ecosystem on
this planet.
Figure 2: Internet users per 100 inhabitants (Source: ITU)
Looking at the evolution of the World Wide Web we can see that we have made a phenomenal
progress in bringing the world online.
1.2 Internet and UAE

Internet penetration rate is growing in many countries and so in UAE. With a population of
around 5million in March 2011, UAE has an Internet using people of around 4.2 million i.e. a
penetration of whopping 84%. (INSIGHTSMENA) (insights mena.com)
IDI or ICT Development Index is a global standard managed by international telecommunication
union (ITU) to measure the digital access rate worldwide. As per this index the countries are
ranked in four groups as high, upper, medium and low. (Schmidt, 2008). As per 2010 index Korea
has the highest ICT development index with ICT of 8.5. UAE is rated at the upper level with an
ICT of 6.4 as the highest ranked Arab nation. (International Telecommunication Union, 2011)
Figure 3: Internet users as a percentage of population (Google Public Data, 2011)
The graph shows the rise of Internet users as a percentage of total population of UAE. It is
observed that the Internet usage in UAE started increasing exponentially during the late 90s
from 0% to more than 80% in a decade. As the growth of Internet usage was sudden it is
observed that the users in UAE use Internet as casual users mainly for searches, checking emails
or social networking.
Figure 4: Frequency of Key Online Activities (INSIGHTSMENA, 2010)
Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1 Usability
Usability can be described as the degree to which a thing (software, hardware, product,
instrument etc.) is easy to use and is a good fit for the people who use it. The fit here refers to
efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction derived by the users who use it. (UPA, 2003)
Technically defined by ISO standards as:
The usability approach incorporates direct feedback from users t create products with reduced
costs and tools that meet user expectations. Various studies have been conducted over the past
decades to determine benefits of usability in a business and the observations can be illustrated
as follows:
Increased Productivity
As quoted by some of the researchers, investment in usability leads to an increased productivity.
10
Decreased Training Time
Increased Sales and Revenues
Reduced development time and costs

Studies by Standish group in 1995 have found that only 9%-16% of software development
projects are completed on time. Projects get cancelled due to insufficient user input which leads
to an annual loss of 80$ billion.
Reduced maintenance costs
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Increased customer satisfaction
2.2 Web Usability

Applying the same principles as mentioned in the above section to the world of web, web
usability can be defined as the ease with which users are able to accomplish their tasks on a
particular website or an application. High user friendliness of a website can reap huge benefits
monetarily as well as emotionally for an organization. It is also observed that the most
successful websites are the most easy to use websites. Good usability techniques improves
users experience and satisfaction which makes the user visit the website more than once.
Some of the attributes that could hamper the performance of a website can be poor navigation,
confusing layout, misleading figures and forever downloading images. Claire Karats cost-benefit
analysis in 1990 revealed that an investment in usability engineering can have a return on
investment of 3:1 to 100:1.Thus it becomes imperative for organization to lay focus on web
usability to achieve a high ROI in the industry.
As per Jakob Nielsen, a consultant on Web Usability, it is an imperative condition for survival. If
the user is unable to effectively complete his task on a website, people leave.
The different methods that can be used to improve the usability and usefulness of a website are:
Card Sorting
It is a technique where the users are involved in arranging the contents of a web site, which
looks logical to them. Card Sorting can be performed during analyze, design and test phase of a
project and helps in determining the structure of the website which is logical to the users. This
can be performed in two different ways- an open card sort or closed card sort.
Open Card Sort- This is done when you want to know how the users group content and
understand how they label each group.
Closed Card Sort- This works well when you have a fixed set of categories and you want to know
about users sort the items in these fixed categories.
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Personas
For an effective website, defining persona is the most important aspect of a website design.
Persona identification is a major activity during the analyze phase which helps in identifying the
major user groups of a website. This helps the developers to focus on the needs of the personas
identified. Persona identification directly helps in building a better understanding of customers,
implement short design cycles and improve the quality of product delivered.
Heuristic Evaluation
This test is usually conducted during the analysis and the test phases of website development. It
is performed by evaluating the compliance of interface with recognized usability principles
called heuristics. Heuristic evaluations are usually performed by group of professionals who
help in evaluating potential usability issues and problems. The main advantage of this technique
is a prompt and accurate feedback to the designers.
Focus Groups
Focus group is a typical market research technique where in a group of eight to twelve potential
users of a website talk about their expectations of the website. This discussion can last for about
two hours and cover a range wide range of topics at hand. Focus group discussion conducted
during the analysis and design phase of development helps in identifying users attitudes,
beliefs, expectations and desires.
Prototyping
Prototyping is developing a draft version of the website. It may include developing a prototype
of just the home page or a few navigation pages. Building a prototype helps in testing the
feasibility of the design before investment and development. It helps in gathering feedback at a
very early stage from the users and is a very effective and cheap way to change product early in
the development process rather than at the end of development.
One of the great initiatives to promote usability concepts and technology worldwide is The
Usability Professionals' Association (UPA). UPA provides a platform to support and connect
worldwide usability researchers and designers to share their user experience of various products
and services.
Established in 1991, UPA has become the ISO for usability. It conducts a yearly international
conference and publishes its new findings. Some of its publications are the Journal of Usability
Studies (JUS) and User Experience Magazine that has 50 chapters worldwide. World Usability
day was established by UPA in 2004, which was celebrated in over 40 countries in 2009. The
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2.3 Web Usability in UAE

Although Internet penetration in UAE stands out to be 84%, awareness of web usability is still in
a growing stage in UAE where in companies and organizations are beginning to realize the
potential of World Wide Web. Post-recession online presence in the form of websites provides
an effective way of advertising which discounts the cost of printing. UAE has witnessed growth
of large number of web development firms/studios in the country in the past few decades. In
Dubai, due to the large foreign investments and the growing construction industry there was a
major emergence of web design firms like the BlueBeetle, IdeaJunction, e-ingtech ,dubaiwebs
etc. An increasing awareness about web usability has led to the formation of groups/forums like
the Internet Emirates Group and Usability UAE.
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Chapter 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
15
Research Methodology
Problem
Identification
Data
Processing
Data
Analysi
s
Literature
review
Data
Gatherin
g
Interpretatio
n & findings
Problem
Definition
Sampling
Report
Figure 5: Research Methodology
3.1 Problem Identification

Increasing Internet penetration in UAE coupled with the industrial growth of this region
especially Dubai as an upcoming business and commercial hub has led to mushrooming of many
businesses. Soon businesses realized the potential of Internet power and most of them
preferred to be on web. This led to the growth of many wed design firms and related disciplines
in UAE for the past few decades. Usability being an important driver for the success of websites,
we were inclined to study web usability and its business impact in UAE.
3.2 Objectives
The objective is to understand the acceptance of usability and how it impacts business across
different industry verticals
To understand the motivations and barriers for usability as a discipline in UAE

To do a comparative analysis of websites of competing players in different verticals
(banking, hospitality, retail, jobs portals and entertainment) in UAE
To identify gap areas for the selected verticals and propose solutions for improvement
16
Banking
Hopitality
Job Portals
Emirates NBD
Dubai Islamic
Bank
Mashreq Bank
Atlantis Palm
Jumeirah
Naukri Gulf
Bayt
Online
Shopping
Souq
Dubizzle
Entertainment
Vox Cinemas
Grand Cinemas
Figure 6: Major Industry verticals and selected websites
3.3 Benefits of Research
To understand the barriers to usability and how important stakeholders can take steps
to improve gain from this discipline.
To understand the important attributes of web usability with respect to UAE.
This research can be used as a guide for developing effective web sites across different
verticals in UAE
Existing players can use this as a feedback to improve their web sites
3.4 Data Sources

Primary Data
Interviews of industry stakeholders related to this domain. This will include web
consultants, architects, usability practitioners, web developers and clients in UAE.
Online surveys to reach web users using the selected websites.
Secondary Data
Web analytics tools like Alexa to generate traffic statistics, user profiles etc.
Usability evaluation tools like Fen-Gui for generating Attention Heatmap.
Colorblindness filters to render screens for protanope, deuteranope and tritanope
defects.
Mobile readiness on various platforms.
3.5 Sample Size and Sampling Methodology

We have used convenience sampling for collecting responses for Internet user. The instrument
used is a self-administered online questionnaire. The reason for choosing online medium was to
17

have a greater reach and relevant users (targeting Internet for Internet users).
The sample size for expert interviews is 5.
The sample size for user surveys is 150.
3.6 Operational Definition

Our sample for consumer research should contain the following:
All genders
All nationalities
Internet users who use websites from any of the five verticals
Age group above 18 years
18
Chapter 4: DATA ANALYSIS
19
Data Analysis
The three drivers of our research would be:
Quantitative analysis of the primary data collected from user surveys

Content analysis for expert opinions
Secondary would involve the use of web analytics and usability tools
Secondary
Research
Content
Analysis
Quantitative
Analysis
Figure 7
4.1 Secondary Data

After thorough literature analysis of existing work on usability we have come up with a
framework of analyzing the shortlisted web sites on parameters, which are important for the
performance of these websites in the respective industry verticals. However, these parameters
are not new to the field of web usability and have been chosen keeping the objectives of the
research in mind.
Our analysis can be further segmented into 3 categories, which are as follows:
Analytics: This is based on data obtained from Alexa, which is a web analytics tool
providing usage traffic information about various websites. The analysis would involve
interpretation of following parameters:
o Bounce Rate: Estimated percentage of visits to the website that consist of only a
single page view
20

o
o
o
Time on Site: Estimated daily time on site (minutes)

Load Time: Average load time (very slow, slow, fast, very fast)
Search Analytics
Query: A search string that directs traffic to a website from search
engines. This may consist of a group of words or individual words from
the query. E.g. if the site receives traffic for 'wedding dress', 'wedding
gown', 'wedding gown', the word 'wedding' may appear in the list
Impact Factor: This illustrates the amount of organic search hits for the
website in spite of having a good advertising competition for a given
Query. This factor is a combined measure of the importance of a Query
to the websites traffic and the amount of advertising competition
existing for that Query. (Scale 1 to 100)
Query Popularity: This shows an approximation of the frequency of
occurrence of a query in user searches with higher number indicating
higher searches. (Scale 1 to 100)
The Query Competition Index: This index represents the extent of
advertising done by competitors for a given Query on major search
engines. A larger number indicates higher advertising competition.
(Scale 1 to 100).
Compatibility: If the website does not work on your browser its as good as loosing you
as customer. There are several compatibility aspects, which we believe are vital for an
overall satisfactory user experience. In this category we evaluate a website for its cross
browser compatibility, compatibility across screen resolutions, mobile readiness (owing
to the high mobile penetration in this market, this becomes important) and accessibility
for color blind people.
User Interface: There are certain industry wide accepted usability models like the 7Cs
models which provide guide lines to evaluate the effectiveness of technology mediated
customer interfaces. Taking cues from this model we came up with certain tests for the
User interface. Attention heatmap for communication; effective screen utilization, link
positioning and font legibility for content organization; language support for content
customization; finally, user effort and hierarchy of content (in the navigation tree) for
checking context in terms of functionality.
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Load Time
Web Analytics
Traffic Statistics
Search Analytics
Accesibility
Evaluation
Framework
Compatibility
Browser
Mobile
Attention Heatmap
Link positioning & font
legibility
Internationalization
User Interface
Hierarchy of content
Screen Utilization
User effort
Figure 8: Evaluation framework
4.1.1 Banking
UAE Banking sector has been showing an annual growth rate of 30% over the past 5 years.
About 25 local and 30 foreign banks operate in UAE with a total network of around 650
branches. If we look at this number in comparison to the population in this region, it is one of
the highest in the world. Islamic banking in UAE has also witnessed a significant growth in recent
years. (Fatma, 2010)
Competition is intensifying and the playing field is getting smaller. This is the foremost challenge
for banks in the region. Additionally, there is the challenge to automate and deploy technology
to assist growth. The banking industry in the UAE still operates in a very paper-intensive
environment. There are lots of manual processes and paper-based documentation. While banks
are constantly trying to automate their operations, the government is also promoting banks to
become electronic. For instance, the Image Cheque Clearing System (ICCS), akin to Check 21 in
the US, has been mandated by the UAE Central Bank to improve payment-clearing processes in
the country and is expected to be implemented this year. Core banking has a huge scope for
improvement. Many banks in the UAE are still running on legacy systems. They now need to
look at new-age systems that can help them meet their current and future requirements.
(Infosys Finacle, 2011)
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Emirates NBD
Web Analytics
Summary
Average load time
Fast (0.936 Seconds), 74% of sites are slower.

Bounce Rate
Time on Site
Traffic Statistics
Search Analytics
Top 3 in queries to focus in
terms of SEO tactics
1. Online Banking
2. Credit Card
3. Mutual Funds
Compatibility
Browser compatibility
Compatible across all major browsers
Color Blindness test
Ranks HIGH (good) in colorblindness tests
Mobile readiness
LOW. Emirates NBD in not mobile
ready
23
Interface
Attention Heatmap
Heat map for this site shows high visibility for
the advertisement frames which is desirable for
the website
Link Positioning and font legibility
Good
English
Good
Scrolling effort to view whole page

content
0.5x
Screen Utilization
Medium
Other Observations:
The URLs for online banking websites for personal banking and corporate banking are not
subdomains of emiratesnbd.com but login.smartbusiness.ae/bo-login.jsp and
login.banknetpower.net
The links for existing users namely Internet
Banking and smartBUSINESS are not
positioned conveniently. However, if the
purpose of this website is only to attract
potential customers, it serve the purpose.
Links are repeated at the same place
There is an animated lady introducing the bank appealing for new users but becomes a nuisance
for existing users. Also, it is not beneficial for deaf users
24
Dubai Islamic Bank

Web Analytics
Summary
Average load time
Fast (1.044 Seconds), 68% of sites are slower.

Bounce Rate
Time on Site
Traffic Statistics
Search Analytics
1. Online Banking in Dubai

2. Islamic Banking
3. dib
Compatibility
Ranks MEDIUM in colorblindness
tests. Content is clear however,
Deuteranope, Trinatrope and
Protanope tests distort the banks
logo.
25
Mobile readiness
LOW. Dubai Islamic bank in not
mobile ready
Interface
Attention Heatmap
Heat map for this site shows high visibility for
the advertisement frames which is desirable for
the website.
Links for login of existing users are clearly
visible
Poor
English, Arabic
Low (Single page navigation)

content
1x
Screen Utilization
Low
26
Mashreq Bank
Web Analytics
Summary
Average load time
Slow (1.777 Seconds), 61% of sites are faster.

Bounce Rate
Time on Site
Traffic Statistics
Search Analytics
1. Online Banking
2. Credit card
3. Personal Loans
Compatibility
Ranks HIGH (good) in colorblindness test.
Mobile readiness
MEDIUM. Mashreq has mobile
applications for all major mobile
platforms. It provides facilities like
Balance enquiry, bill payments and
money transfers. Hence, is mobile
ready.
27
Interface
Attention Heatmap
Heat map for this site shows high visibility
for the animated advertisement frames
which is desirable for the website. The
Logo is also clearly visible (which is vital for
branding)
Good
English, Arabic
Good

content
0x
Screen Utilization
High
28
Comparative Analysis
Bounce Rate
Figure 9
Time on site
Figure 10
29
Search %
Figure 11
4.1.2 Hospitality
The hospitality industry in the UAE has been experiencing a dynamic growth since inception of
the country with Dubai being the most attractive tourist destination. Despite the recession in US
and Europe, as well as unrest in other Middle Eastern countries, the regions hospitality industry
is still witnessing a steady growth. Dubai is the second largest emirate in UAE and possesses
over 600 hotels catering to the region in separate segments like luxury, business and budget
hotels. Dubai has emerged as a global city and a business hub. Owing to its strategic location on
the world map, it became worlds leading center of business and tourism. It is the flagship brand
of the UAE region with tallest, biggest and fastest of everything coming up. With an excellent
blend of East and West, ancient and modern, vast deserts and stunning golden beaches, Dubai
provides an ideal tourist spot. Some of the best line of hotels in Dubai include Burj Al Arab
(worlds only 7 star hotel), Grand Hyatt Dubai, Atlantis Palm Jumeirah, The Address Downtown
Burj Dubai make your stay luxurious and comfortable.
Based on a study conducted by Starkov the cost of room reservation through Internet was less
than 3 dollars compared to 9 dollars for reservation through call center. (Schmidt, 2008)
With the changing tends, hotels slowly started adopting Internet as a business channel.
However, still few of them use it as an effective business tool.
30
Atlantis the palm

Web Analytics
Summary
Average load time
Very Slow (3.452 Seconds), 88% of sites are faster.

Bounce Rate
Time on Site
Traffic Statistics
Search Analytics
1. Atlantis
2. Hotels in Dubai
3. The palm
Compatibility
Ranks Medium in colorblindness test. Lot
of graphics makes it difficult for protanope
colorblind viewers. The flags for Italian and
French generate some confusion but the
pop-up hints help.
31
Mobile readiness
HIGH. Atlantis palm has a very good
mobile website and they have even
implemented QR code directing to this
website
Interface
Attention Heatmap
Heat map cannot serve as a very good
evaluation tool for dynamic web sites as
the content is constantly changing. But for
the given screenshot the results are Good.

Good
English, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Deutsch, Italian,
French, Italian, Japanese
Good
Hierarchy of content is proper. Primary focus is
advertising therefore home page primarily consists
of advertisements running on flash. This adversely
impacts the loading time.

content
2x
Screen Utilization
High
Other Observations:
Appropriate use of AJAX for dynamic request processing
Use of visual cues for weather, events and map removes dependency on language and saves
space.
Displaying the local weather on the website is enhances user experience of foreign tourists
booking rooms at Atlantis
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Jumeirah
Jumeirah is a world-class international hotel and hospitality company and remains committed to
being the world's most luxurious hospitality brand and the name.
Web Analytics
Summary
Average load time

Bounce Rate
Time on Site
Traffic Statistics
Search Analytics
1. Burj Al Arab
2. Jumeirah Beach Hotel
3. Madinat
Compatibility
Mobile readiness
LOW. Mobile readiness is very low as there
is no mobile version of the website and
being a flash intensive web site the mobile
browser does not support it well.
33
Interface
Attention Heatmap
Heatmap results are Good. It shows high
visibility for the animated advertisement
frames which is desirable for the website.
The Logo is also clearly visible (which is
vital for branding)
Link positioning is Good

Font legibility is Low
English, Arabic, Chinese, Russian
Good
Hierarchy of content is proper. Primary focus is
advertising therefore home page primarily consists
of advertisements running on flash. This adversely
impacts the loading time.

content
0.5x
Screen Utilization
Medium
Other Observations:
Content not scalable to fit screens with different aspect ratios
Heavy dependency on flash for animated content
Restricts booking only one room per booking
34
Daily Traffic Rank
Figure 12
Bounce Rate
Figure 13
35
Time on site
Figure 14
Search %
Figure 15
36
4.1.3 Job Portals

Naukri Gulf
Web Analytics
Summary
Average load time

Bounce Rate
Time on Site
Traffic Statistics
Search Analytics
1. Jobs in Dubai
2. Naukri Login
3. Healthcare Jobs
Compatibility

Ranks MEDIUM in colorblindness test. The
logo looses color in Protanope and
Deuteranope simulations.
37
Mobile readiness
While the Indian website Naukri.com has a
compatible mobile version of the website
the gulf website is not mobile ready yet.
Therefore mobile readiness is LOW.
Interface
Attention Heatmap
Heatmaps show Good results. It shows
high visibility for section showing top
employers and the section attracting new
job seekers. This effectively serves the
purpose of this website.
Good
English, Arabic
Medium

content
1x
Screen Utilization
Medium
Other Observations:
Proper emphasis on relevant sections attracting new visitors
38
Bayt
Web Analytics
Summary
Average load time

Bounce Rate
Time on Site
Traffic Statistics
Search Analytics
1. Jobs
2. Vodafone Egypt
3. Jobs in Egypt
Compatibility
Mobile readiness
HIGH. Bayt is mobile ready with a website

39
Interface
Attention Heatmap
for external advertisements and Bayt logo.
This may deviate the user from the core
functionality of the website.
Low
English, Arabic, French
Low

content
4x
Screen Utilization
Medium
Other Observations:
Less effective in organization of content as the large content is put on one single page.
40
Daily traffic Rank
Daily traffic trend shows that naukrigulf attracts higher average traffic compared to bayt
Figure 16
Bounce Rate
Figure 17
41
Search %
Figure 18
42
4.1.4 Online Shopping/Classified

Souq
Souq is an Arabic word for market in an Arabized or Muslim city. The Largest e-Marketplace in
the Arab World. Shop from a wide selection of mobiles, games, computers, electronics, shoes,
furniture, clothing, jewelry, watches and more (Alexa)
Web Analytics
Summary
Average load time

Bounce Rate
Time on Site
Traffic Statistics
Search Analytics
1. Sexy Women
2. Perfume
3. iPhone Accessories
Compatibility

43
Mobile readiness
LOW. Mobile readiness is low as there is
no mobile version of the website.
Interface
Attention Heatmap
for the advertisement frames related to
Souq (lesser visibility of third party ads)
which is desirable for the website.
Good
English, Arabic
Low

content
1.5x
Screen Utilization
Medium
Other Observations:
Drop-downs for selection of categories for
display and selection of categories for
search are closely placed and can be
confusing to the viewer
Differentiated content based on Arabic and English language selection. This is a good strategy as
the preferences also vary with languages (demographic attribute)
44
Dubizzle
Dubizzle is not exactly a shopping portal but an online advertising portal for cars, real estate and
jobs. We have selected it for this category as the website structure is very similar to a shopping
portal and it is very popular in the region.
Web Analytics
Summary
Average load time

Bounce Rate
Time on Site
Traffic Statistics
Search Analytics
1. Used cars
2. Nokia
3. Apartment for rent
Compatibility
Mobile readiness
HIGH. Dubizzle is mobile ready with a
website

45
Interface
Attention Heatmap
for the recommendations frames related
to Dubizzle. It also draws attention to
Facebook plugin which shows people who
like Dubizzle. This would help new users
get reviews about this website, thus
helping in customer acquisition.
Good
English, Arabic, French
Low

content
1x
Screen Utilization
Medium
46
Daily traffic Rank
Figure 19
Bounce Rate
Figure 20
47
Time on Site
Figure 21
Search %
Figure 22
48
4.1.5 Entertainment
VOX Cinemas
Vox cinemas was originally Cinestar and was rebranded in June.
Web Analytics
Summary
Average load time

Bounce Rate
Time on Site
Traffic Statistics
Search Analytics
1. Harry Potter
2. Pirates of Carrabean
3. Cinestar
Compatibility
Ranks MEDIUM in colorblindness test. Distortion

of colors and loss of visibility in Protanope tests
Mobile readiness
Medium. VOX Cinemas has mobile
application but only for iPhone
49
Interface
Attention Heatmap
Attention heatmap shows good results
with high visibility to relevant areas

Font legibility is poor
English, Arabic
Good

content
0.75x
Screen Utilization
Medium
50
Grand Cinemas
Web Analytics
Summary
Average load time

Bounce Rate
Time on Site
Traffic Statistics
Search Analytics
1. Cineplex, Cinemas, Multiplex

2. Cinemas in Lebanon
3. Grande cinemas
Compatibility
Ranks HIGH in colorblindness test
Mobile readiness
Medium. Grand Cinemas has mobile
application but only for iPhone
51
Interface
Attention Heatmap
Attention heatmap shows good results
with high visibility to relevant areas

Font legibility is poor
English
Good

content
1.5x
Screen Utilization
Medium
52
Bounce Rate
Figure 23
Time on Site
Figure 24
53
Search %
Figure 25
54
4.2 Primary Data

4.2.1 Qualitative Analysis
For expert interviews we targeted people from varied experiences in the web development
industry but closely related to Usability. The idea behind diversifying was to firstly get different
perspectives to the same context and on the other hand reduce redundancy and increase
richness of the information captured. Our set of experts include Usability consultants, web
developers from web studios, project managers for web site development in airline industry,
Usability experts for differently abled and finally, business consultant from an IT company which
specializes in developing web applications for various mobile platforms (like iOS, Windows
Mobile, Blackberry etc.)
Lack of
awareness
Lack of
adopting
websites as
business
channel
Lack of
usability
practitioners
Expert
Comments
Being
Reactive
than
Proactive
Challenges in
developing
Arabic
websites
Accessibility
in UAE
Figure 26
Lack of awareness of Usability concept in UAE

The awareness of usability as a concept and science has not developed to a great extent in UAE
and this has been an area of concern expressed by all the experts. This is due to the fact that
web Usability is a very new jargon in this region. Clients tend to spend more on making the
websites more glamorous and flashy rather than keeping them simple and efficient. A typical
comment from a web development manager was that expenditure of hiring a usability
consultant cannot be shown as directly contributing to the bottom line of companies hence it is
difficult to get an approval for the same. As a result the value proposition of the doing a proper
Usability assessment before the launch of any new website is not given proper attention or
investment. As quoted by one of the experts during the interview, Usability is not considered as
55

a major aspect of service delivery.
Another common misconception is that a web developer is assumed to look at usability aspects
also. Usability in itself is a full-fledged profession and is a separate layer between web architect
and web developer.
There are lots of steps taken by the web usability practitioners to bring awareness about this
topic in UAE like an active online forum called usability UAE (www.usabilityuae.com) that
connects all the usability professionals in UAE. Then there is a Facebook group for informal
discussions and a LinkedIn group for more formal discussions, organizing conferences and
connecting Usability experts from across the globe (this was switched to open group in April
2011). All these groups were the result of a conference organized in the beginning of 2008,
which included all the usability experts in UAE. Finally, there is a plan to start a UPA chapter,
Usability Professionals Association in UAE to put UAE on the world Usability map. UPA has 50
chapters across the globe but in Middle East it has presence only in Israel. There has been an
active participation in the World Usability Day since 2008.
Lack of usability practitioners/information architect in UAE

UAE has only a handful of dedicated usability practitioners or information architects. As almost
all of them are either expat Arabs or expat Asians this creates a gap in relating to the UAE users.
As usability is the technique of making the websites more close to the user, it becomes
imperative to understand the likes, dislikes and preferences of the user for which you are trying
to create a website. However, it is observed here that usability professionals do not actually
relate to the persona of the UAE user and focus more on the usability evaluation techniques.
Lack of research to understand the UAE Internet users and the lack of assistance available to
help in localization of content have been most common problems faced by the usability
practitioners here. It is important to understand the different stakeholders of your websites
thoroughly.
Lack of adopting websites as a business channel

Until 2008 businesses in UAE considered their websites as just an entry on business cards, not
laying much importance on it as a source of business channel. Post-recession in 2008, people
started thinking out of the box realizing the potential of websites as a revenue generator.
However, this growth has been slow and there is still a reluctance of businesses to accept web
as a major source of revenue earner. Consequently due to the lack of investments and interest
in this region not much has been achieved in terms of usability. In contrast, businesses that
were the first movers in this regard have reaped excellent benefits for their initiative. Some of
the examples good websites in terms of usability are emirates.com, gulfnews.com and
zawya.com.
Challenges in developing Arabic websites

UAE as a nation has a huge chunk of it population as Expat coming from all parts of the world.
Thus websites need to be able to cater to needs of all sections of society. Usually a website in
56

UAE has at least two languages i.e. Arabic and English. Some of the websites that are pioneers in
usability in this region have languages count close to 40. For example, emirtaes.com has its
website in 40 different languages owing to varied nationalities of its visitors. With such a wide
variety of languages on the same website, it is important to localize the site as per the needs
and requirements of the user.
Arabic websites tend to be different from the rest of the world not just due to the right text
alignment of the content. Special focus needs to be laid on the choice of words in Arabic, font
size, color of the website, content, advertisements and information that needs to be put on the
website. It has been observed that the Arabic users prefer having most of the content on the
home page itself. Usability drives the technique of understanding your user closely and then
developing websites for their use. Developing a local and an English website are two different
things and the design should be planned right during the planning phase.
Accessibility in UAE
One of the most important aspects of usability is accessibility. Accessibility defines how
accessible is your website to differently abled people in the society. As per the standards of
W3C, all websites should be accessible however in UAE this is still not a common trend. Except
for a few exceptions there has not been much of work done in this aspect. One of the
exceptions is the website of Road Transport Authority of UAE that has a provision for its
visually impaired visitors. Accessibility is largely being accepted by all websites worldwide in fact
many parts of the world it is made mandatory by the governments. A good example of an
accessible website is www.bbc.com. There is a lot of scope in UAE to develop its websites as
accessible. It is slowly gaining importance in this part of the world.
Importance of Being Proactive than being Reactive

Most of our industry experts have agreed to the fact that businesses in UAE have always
followed a trend of being reactive than being proactive. Not paying much attention to the
importance of usable websites, organizations end up making highly unusable websites and then
are flooded with customer calls and requests. This leads to driving the focus back on developing
a usable website. Owing to the extra cost involved in being reactive, organizations have slowly
started laying importance on being usable from day one itself however still lots more needs to
be achieved.
As stated by one of the experts, building usable websites no longer remains a herculean task if
effective number of testing is involved at different stages. This involves gathering requirements
from the client and then building layouts and wireframes for each persona of the user. The next
step after building the wireframes is to put the content and this is often termed as the Content
Strategy. The experts ensure that the right words are placed at the right place. Special
importance is laid on the important keywords that would lead to website visibility during search
engine optimization (SEO). The work of putting the content is often outsourced to experts like
copywriters with a tone of voice document for each company. Tone of Voice consists of a set of
guidelines to ensure uniformity in the content of websites across all frames. Usability testing is
57

usually carried out by involving users from each persona and making them use a website. The
observations, suggestions and the queries of the user using a website are recorded as areas of
improvements. Such testing ensures that the website is user friendly and will help the user in
completion of his/her task.
4.2.2 Quantitative Analysis
Demographic
The overall demographic profile of the respondents is shown below. The questionnaires
comprised four types of demographic questions i.e. age group, gender, nationality and
profession.
Figure 27: Demographic profile
It was observed that the highest number of Internet users for carrying out daily transactions like
banking, shopping, hotel room booking or movie ticket booking in UAE belonged to the age
group 25-30 followed by the age group 30-40. As the Internet penetration in this region is as
high as 67%, use of websites becomes very high amongst this age group. It was also observed
that the users who are predominantly either students or executives access theses websites from
their workplace. As 81% of the UAE population consists of expats, especially expat Asian they
formed the majority chunk of our user profile.
58
Key drivers that influence a users decision to use a website

The objective was to understand the key motivators or barriers that drive a users decision to
use a website in UAE. The analysis was carried out at each vertical level and then results were
combined to give a holistic picture.
Overall Drivers
Images and Graphics
Headings
Link Positions
Page Loading time
Text Size
Website Colors
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
Figure 28
As displayed above the leading motivator to use a particular website is page loading time
followed by link positions, headings and images and graphics. Users prefer websites that take
the minimal amount of time to finish a transaction and this requires that the page loading time
should be minimum. Thus for a good website the page should load fasts, the links and headings
should be placed such that the user is able to complete its task at the earliest.
Let us also look at the drivers for each of the verticals individually
59
Banking
Images and Graphics

Headings
Link Positions
Page Loading time
Text Size
Website Colors
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
Figure 29
Hospitality
Images and Graphics

Headings
Link Positions
Page Loading time
Text Size
Website Colors
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
Figure 30
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
60
Job Portals
Images and Graphics

Headings
Link Positions
Page Loading time
Text Size
Website Colors
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
Figure 31
Entertainment
Images and Graphics

Headings
Link Positions
Page Loading time
Text Size
Website Colors
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
Figure 32
60.0%
80.0%
61
Retail
Images and Graphics

Headings
Link Positions
Page Loading time
Text Size
Website Colors
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
Figure 33
80.0%
100.0%
62
Factor Analysis
For each vertical a factor analysis was performed to find out the correlation between the various
variables. A factor analysis is conducted to obtain the variability amongst the variables called
factors in terms of lower number of unobserved variables. After running factor analysis on SPSS,
10 variables were grouped on the basis of their dependence on each other and classified into
four or three factors for each vertical. With the help of Varimax rotation four groups of most
closely related factors were formed. The set of four factors broadly included loading time,
navigation, ease of use, Images and Graphics and ease of recovery during an error. It was
observed that for each vertical although the factors formed were more or less same, however
the variables comprising the factors were different. This was noticed due to the different
functional requirements of websites in each of the verticals. Factor analysis simplifies the
process of analysis by reducing a large number of variables into a fewer meaningful, correlated
variables.
Banking
Table 1
63
Hospitality
Table 2
Job Portals
Table 3
64
Leisure and Entertainment

Table 4
Retail
Table 5
65
Performance Analysis
As a next step of analysis the importance of all the four factors were analyzed for each of the
verticals. Regression analysis was performed on each of the extracted four or three factors with
the overall satisfaction level for each vertical provides the importance level of each factor. Next
step was to identify the performance of each variable and compare with the performance cutoff to identify if the users are satisfied with the performance of that variable or not.
Banking
Overall Performance
Table 6
Valid
Frequency Percent
1
4
12.5
3
8
25
4
16
50
5
4
12.5
Total
32
100
Performance level 62.5%
Valid Percent
12.5
25
50
12.5
100
Cumulative Percent
12.5
37.5
87.5
100
With a cut-off of 60%, the performance of the overall satisfaction level of the users is good.
This means that the users in UAE are overall satisfied with the performance of the banking
websites in this region. This includes their satisfaction level in the interface and navigation, ease
of use, page load time and ease in recovering from an error.
Importance Analysis
The importance level of each of the four factors for the banking websites are as shown below:
Table 7
Ease of use
Interface and Navigation
Ease in recovery during an
error
Load time
Standardized
Coefficients
0.48
0.44
Importance
25.53%
23.31%
0.43
22.62%
0.54
28.53%
66
Performance analysis of each of the ten variables was found out by finding the descriptive
frequencies for each of the variable in SPSS. The performance level for each variable was then
compared with the cut-off performance level of 60% and the importance calculated as above to
find the area of gap and improvement.
Table 8
As evident from the analysis, users rate page-loading time as an important attribute with the
highest importance from rest of the fours factors. However, it was observed that the current
websites of banking industry in UAE are not performing well in this aspect as per the users
perception. Only 50% of the users agree that the page of their favorite website load in a
sufficient time. Thus it is identified as a gap and the companies should work to improve the page
loading time of the website.
67
Hospitality
Overall Performance
Table 9
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
2.00
12.9
12.9
12.9
3.00
9.7
9.7
22.6
4.00
14
45.2
45.2
67.7
5.00
10
32.3
32.3
100.0
Total
31
100.0
100.0
Valid
Performance level: 77.5%

This means that the users in UAE are overall satisfied with the performance of the hospitality
Importance Analysis
Table 10
Ease of Use
Navigation
Interface and Graphics
Ease in recovering from an error
Standardized
Coefficients
0.63
0.68
0.24
0.24
Importance
35.12%
37.88%
13.32%
13.69%
Navigation and Ease of use of a website are the key important factors that drive a users
perception on accessing a hospitality website in UAE.
68
Table 11
Hospitality websites like jumeirah.com and atlantisthepalm.com are fairly doing well in all
parameters in UAE. However there is a small gap identified in the ease of recovery after an
error from the website. The respondents have commented on not being able to recover the
data easily once a wrong entry was made. Subsequently this led to reloading of data and
wastage of time. As the websites are flashy and graphics intensive, it takes a longer time to
load a page. It is important that a clear balance is maintained between the two factors-Interface
and graphics appeal and Ease of use and load time as they are inversely related. Focus on one
factor may lead to increase in gap of the other.
69
Job Portals
Overall Performance
Table 12
Valid
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
3.00
17
56.7
56.7
56.7
4.00
13
43.3
43.3
100.0
Total
30
100.0
100.0
Performance level: 43.3%

With a cut-off of 60%, the performance of the overall satisfaction level of the users is not
below the expectation level. This means that the users in UAE are overall not satisfied with the
performance of the job portals in this region. This includes their satisfaction level in the
interface and navigation, ease of use, page load time and ease in recovering from an error.
Importance Analysis
Table 13
Ease of use
Interface and Navigation
Ease in recovering from an error
Load Time
Standardized
Coefficients
0.73
0.32
0.04
0.16
Importance
58.62%
25.77%
3.06%
12.55%
70
Table 14
The users in UAE do not seem to be very happy with the performance of job portals in UAE. A
significant gap is identified in the area of ease of use. Customers should be able to complete
their task as quickly as possible and with the minimum number of clicks. Since at job portals
users visit with a very clear objective or content in mind, it becomes imperative for the website
to provide the right information and content and the right place and help the user complete its
transaction. Other gap areas identified are the interface and graphics appeal and the content
and performance and the placing of right links at the right position.
71
Entertainment
Overall Performance
Table 15
Valid
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
1.00
12.5
12.5
12.5
2.00
12.5
12.5
25.0
3.00
12.5
12.5
37.5
4.00
16
50.0
50.0
87.5
5.00
12.5
12.5
100.0
Total
32
100.0
100.0
Performance: 62.5%
This means that the users in UAE are overall satisfied with the performance of the hospitality
Importance Analysis
Table 16
Ease of Use
Navigation
Interface and Graphics
Standardized
Coefficients
0.55
0.78
0.26
Importance
34.34%
49.10%
16.56%
72
Table 17
The users accessing entertainment websites in UAE lay maximum importance to navigation
followed by ease of use of the website. Since the entertainment websites are mostly accessed
for booking movie tickets, it is very important that the navigation between different windows of
the site is smooth and fast. From the performance analysis of the variables it is evident that the
websites need to improve on the navigation from different pages. The user should be able to
complete his/her transaction as quick as possible. Page load time should be lower than what it is
currently and it should be easy to recover from the data entered in case of an error.
73
Retail
Overall Performance
Table 18
Valid
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
3.00
20.0
20.0
20.0
4.00
18
60.0
60.0
80.0
5.00
20.0
20.0
100.0
Total
30
100.0
100.0
Performance level: 80%

With a cut-off of 60%, the performance of the overall satisfaction level of the users is very
good. This means that the users in UAE are overall very satisfied with the performance of the
hospitality websites in this region. This includes their satisfaction level in the interface and
navigation, ease of use, page load time and ease in recovering from an error.
Importance Analysis
Table 19
Easy to use
Load time and Navigation
Error recovery in case of
error
Standardized
Coefficients
0.57
0.76
0.26
Importance
35.63%
47.79%
16.58%
74
Table 20
As retail websites are used for online shopping, users give highest importance to the page load
time and ease of navigation through the page. It is observed that the users in UAE are satisfied
with the performance of these two factors. With a satisfaction level of 80% with the ease of
navigation and a 63.3% satisfaction level for page load time the websites can focus on improving
the effective placements of links and headings on the page.
75
Chapter 5: FINDINGS
76
Findings
The following tables show consolidation of data analysis of websites evaluated in respective
industry verticals. The ratings Traffic rank, bounce rate, Time on site, Search % and Content
organization are relative among the players in a given industry vertical.
Banking
Table 21
Emirated NBD
Dubai Islamic Bank
Mashreq Bank
Load Time
Fast
Fast
Slow
Bounce Rate
High, Constant
Low, Falling
Low, Falling
Time on Site
Low, Constant
High, Constant
High, Constant
Search %
Low, Falling
Medium, Constant
High, Increasing
Attention Heatmap
Good
Good
Good
Content Organization
Medium
Low
High
Color Blindness
NIL
Medium
NIL
Mobile Readiness
Low
Low
Medium
Overall mobile readiness in this industry is low. Emirates NBD, in spite of coming up with a new
website suffers from high bounce rate, less time on site and low search percentage. Its also
attracts more men than women. Mashreq performs the best in this industry.
Hospitality
Table 22
Load Time
Traffic Rank
Bounce Rate
Time on Site
Search %
Attention Heatmap
Color Blindness
Mobile Readiness
Atlantis the palm
Jumeirah
Very Slow
High
Low, Falling
High, Constant
High, Constant
Good
9
High
Medium
High
Slow
Low
High, Constant
Low, Constant
High, Constant
Good
4
Medium
NIL
Low
77

Jumeirah ranks very low when compared to Atlantis. Major reason for this ranking according to
us is the fact that Jumeirah is a collection of subdomains representing its major hotels which
defeats usability aspects of this website on many vital parameters. Both attract higher
percentage of women. Jumeirah attracts more people from Middle East.
Job Portals
Table 23
Naukri Gulf
Bayt
Load Time
Slow
Very Slow
Traffic Rank
High
Low
Bounce Rate
Medium, Constant
Medium, Constant
Time on Site
Medium, Constant
Medium, Constant
Search %
Medium, Constant
High, Constant
Attention Heatmap
Good
Not Good
High
Low
Color Blindness
Medium
NIL
Mobile Readiness
Low
High
Bayt has high loading time because the hierarchy of content is low. 4 screens worth of data is
presented on the home screen, which demands more loading time. NaukriGulf should take cues
from the Indian version of this website and improve its position. NaukriGulf is popular in India
while Bayt is more popular in Middle East.
Online Shopping/Classified
Table 24
Souq
Dubizzle
Load Time
Very Slow
Very Slow
Traffic Rank
High, Constant
Low, Falling
Bounce Rate
High, Constant
Low, Constant
Time on Site
Low, Constant
High, Falling
Search %
High, Constant
Low, Increasing
Attention Heatmap
Medium
Good
Low
High
Color Blindness
High
NIL
Mobile Readiness
Low
High
78

Souq ranks low in content organization, which ultimately impacts its load time and leads to a
higher bounce rate. Dubizzle is doing well in all the other parameters but has a constantly falling
traffic rank, which is primarily due to the slow down in real estate industry. Both websites
attract higher number of women.
Entertainment
Table 25
Vox Cinemas
Grand Cinemas
Load Time
Slow
Very Slow
Bounce Rate
High, Constant
Low, Constant
Time on Site
Medium, Constant
Medium, Constant
Search %
Medium, Constant
Medium, Falling
Attention Heatmap
Good
Good
Medium
Medium
Color Blindness
NIL
NIL
Mobile Readiness
Medium
Medium
Both the players are very comparable and perform at par. Owing to its recent rebranding; Vox
Cinemas experiences a high bounce rate. Both attract higher number of women.
The following table shows the gaps identified for web sites in each vertical from the quantitative
research of primary data.
Table 26
79
Chapter 6: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
80
Conclusions and Recommendations

Based on our research we can conclude that web usability has a huge potential in this region.
UAE being at the forefront of technology and infrastructure development should embrace this
discipline. This would benefit all the stakeholders including Internet users, web design firms and
all the related e commerce businesses.
We believe that the government should implement strong cyber laws to increase reliability and
promote online transactions. On the other hand businesses should give more emphasis on
functionality of their websites and less on aesthetics. This would make the websites more of a
transaction medium rather than publicity medium. Finally, web architects and should conform
to global web standards like the W3C to compete on an intentional stage.
In addition, our specific recommendations for each industry vertical in UAE are as follows:
Banking
According to our research and statistics from InsightsMena (Figure 3) UAE Internet users
lack the confidence to transact online. Banks should provide infrastructure and services
to promote online transactions, bill payments etc. This can be done by implementing
secure online payment gateways, MasterCard SecureCode, Verified by Visa offering
the same ease of transaction as some of the global banks like HSBC, ABM Amro etc.
Banks in this region would be to come up with mobile Internet banking. Owing to the
high smartphone penetration, large number of young tech savvy individuals and
growing competition in this industry, banks should come up with such services to attract
new customers. The services offered can include balance enquiry, bill payments, third
party transfers etc. Mashreq bank has already taken steps in this direction.
Considering the cosmopolitan nature of population in this region it would help if
internationalization were given some emphasis. At the minimum Arabic and French
languages should be included.
Banks should become more functionality oriented rather than being marketing oriented.
This would address 2 issues. Firstly, marketing content primarily consists of image
banners and flash animations, which increase the page loading time. Page load time
being a major pain point would be addressed if this recommendation is implemented.
Secondly, this would coincide with our first recommendation and increase average time
on site and bring down the bounce rate. Increasing time on site leads to building of trust
and increasing transactions thus increasing wallet share of existing customers.
Emirates NBD particularly should focus on reducing bounce rate, increasing time on site
and increasing search percentage. This can be done by implementing SEO (Search
Engine Optimization) techniques for queries like Online Banking, Credit Cards and
Mutual Funds. Being available only in English it severely impacts Usability when it
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comes to Arabic and French speaking population.

Dubai Islamic bank should focus on screen utilization and content organization. The
content does not fill the entire screen leaving considerable space on left and right
margins. Also, being single page navigation, the hierarchy of content according to
importance is low and all levels of information appear on the same page. These 2
aspects force the user to scroll every time to view the content, which defeats the
usability principal of minimizing interaction effort.
Hospitality
Hospitality industry necessary involves extensive advertising involving rich graphics and
animated content. Industry leaders are doing particularly well in this respect. But rich
graphics means higher page load time (as high as 3.45 seconds for AtlantisthePalm).
These websites can have a low bandwidth version of their websites for users running on
a slow Internet connection. This would bring down the bounce rate and help in
customer acquisition.
Be slightly more transaction centric. Although the overall appeal of these websites is
good there are certain gap areas, which users mentioned during our surveys. These are
primarily related the task of booking rooms. For instance, one of the users mentioned
that he wanted to book multiple rooms in a single booking as he had a large family. But,
the website required him to perform multiple transactions (including payments) to
complete this task. Another problem mentioned was related to recovery from errors. If
the room booking required multiple steps and the user encountered an invalid field
error half way through the booking, inputs for all the previous steps would be lost and
one would have to star all over again.
Our recommendation for Jumeirah Group of hotels is to have separate websites for the
more popular hotels/resorts. Analysis of search traffic suggests that names like Burj Al
Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel are more popular than the brand name itself.
Implementation of this recommendation would help users reach their favorite hotels
directly. These individual websites can have small banners for Jumeirah group to retain
branding.
They should offer promotions to women on their websites, as they constitute majority.
Job Portals
Load time is again a concern for Job Portals (ranked slow and very slow) by Alexa. In
this case it is primarily due to the quantum of content placed on the home page.
Although, there is little scope of improvement in this regard bringing some hierarchy in
the content (moving content from home page and putting in subsequent pages) would
help improve information clarity reduce response time.
Bayt is a popular job portal in this region however it is ranked very slow in load time.
This website displays 4 screens worth of information on the home page which increases
information complexity thus making it difficult for users to find information. According
to heatmap results Bayt attracts more attention to third party ads compared to internal
ads. Advertising may be a source of revenue for Bayt but such advertising may be the
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reason higher bounce rate this website suffers.

Naukri Gulf is a subsidiary of Naukri.com, which is a major jobs portal in India. Although,
it enjoys a better position compared to Bayt owing to high traffic from Indian users this
website does not have a website yet. On the other hand Naukri.com has a mobile
website.
Entertainment
Improve transaction time. These websites are generally slow owing to the rich content
on these websites but there have been comments from users that transaction time is
high, especially during payments when the screen blanks out. This can be a major
demotivator for a user who has entered credit card information and is uncertain about
transaction completion.
Both the websites have mobile applications but only for iPhone. They should extend this
support for other mobile platforms like blackberry and Symbian.
Vox should continue promoting its brand image. It has been recently rebranded from
Cinestar cinemas. This might be the cause for high bounce rate and major fluctuations in
time on site (leading to users moving to Grand cinemas)
Considering the cosmopolitan nature of population in this region it would help if
internationalization were given some emphasis. At the minimum Arabic and French
languages should be included.
Online Shopping/Classified
The major comment from users and experts with respect to online shopping websites
has been the lack of proper infrastructure like reliable online transactions and delivery
infrastructure. These companies should take steps to increase the credibility of shopping
portals in general.
Both the websites Souq and Dubizzle are ranked very slow according to Alexa. Global
players like Amazon are faster in spite of having more content on their websites. Also,
this category of websites are information rich therefore, effective utilization of screen
space and implementation of Ajax frames would reduce load time. Further,
Dubizzle has a poor traffic rank, which is constantly declining. This can be attributed to
the declining real estate market in this region.
Souq does not have a mobile ready site. A mobile version of the website would enable
expand their reach to a wider set of audience.
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Appendix
Discussion Guide
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13] Kindly rank the following websites in each vertical as per your preference for usage-
Vertical
Brand/Company
Your Rank
Emirates NBD
Banking
Dubai Islamic Bank

Mashreq Bank
Atlantis The Palm
Hospitality
Burj Al Arab
Naukri Gulf
Job Portals
Bayt
Souq
Retail
Dubizzle
Dubai Mall
Leisure
Mall of Emirates
and Entertainment
Cinestar Cinemas
Grand Cinemas
Thank you for sharing your valuable comments and viewpoints with us. Your input is
indeed going to enrich the content of our report.
Have a nice day!
Questionnaires
The user surveys are 5 in number, one for each vertical namely banking, hospitality, retail,
shopping and entertainment. Each survey is divided into 3 sections:
1. Usage Specific to each vertical
2. Satisfaction (common to each vertical)
3. Demographics (common to each vertical)
NOTE: The common sections are presented only once.
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Section1
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Section2-3
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