Modeling Web Usability Diagnostics on the Basis of Usage Statistics

This chapter presents a method for usability diagnosis of webpages based on time analysis of clickstream data. The resulting diagnostic reports enable website managers to learn about possible usability barriers. Different website design deficiencies are associated with different patterns of exceptional navigation. This chapter presents a method based on the integration of stochastic Bayesian and Markov models with models for estimating and analyzing visitors’ mental activities during their interaction with a website. Based on this approach, a seven-layer model for data analysis is proposed and an example of a log analyzer that implements this model is presented. The chapter describes state-of-the-art techniques and tools implementing these methods and maps areas for future research. We begin with some definitions and

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