Japan's Social Networks Need Usability Improvements

The growing popularity of Japan's social networking services (SNSes) is dependent on getting people to sign up for and use their services. To find out how easy it was to register for Japan's SNSes, Forrester applied an abridged version of its Web Site Review methodology to the site experiences at three major Japanese social networking sites: Mixi, Gree, and Cafesta. Major problems included convoluted registration processes, illegible content, and a dearth of contextual help. But the news wasn't all bad; we also found some good practices, like Mixi's focus on the most important content for users and Gree's navigation structure. Japan's social networking sites should improve their experiences — and bolster their businesses — by testing their registration processes from the users' perspective, accounting for the most security-conscious users, and creating a Site Improvement Matrix (SIM) to prioritize enhancements.