Design Choices Can Cripple a Website

[Will]

Just read a very interesting article on how your website design can really have an impact on how well it functions. A good example is provided together with some analysis.

See what you think.

http://alistapart.com/articles/designcancripple

[Vertigo_Web_Design]

is they don't tell you when and under what conditions they collected it...

So for instance... was Version A at launch and was it backed by an advertising campaign or any offer inducements... to me that's what that data says... that you have a brand new site launched with some advertising which obviously generates some interest which slows down after a bit... if that's true which I'd guess it is from looking at the stats ( and which I can't emphasise enough when you do this you do need to say under what circumstances the research was carried under) and they don't contradict makes the results irrelevant.

[Will]

Very valid point, but without the author actually stating that there was any difference between the conditions of each test, I can only assume that they maintained conditions throughout.

As you say, unless they kept all other variables constant then the results are meaningless! Since they went to the trouble of carrying out the test and (briefly) presenting their analysis, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt. :)