Success
Usability yields success. Of course we are not to release any information on our customers - but applying usability has been profitable on all accounts. There is a variety of criteria in order to measure success: For e-commerce providers the relevant criteria may be the number of completed orders. For information portals the number of recurring users. For manufacturers of mobile phones the number of support calls. In the long run, no product can be successful if it is not usable - no matter if it is about a software, a web site or a mobile phone.
Return on Investment
The costs of a usable product are minor compared to its benefit: A content management system with a poor usability will come into operation only if it shows a clear price advantage compared to its competitors. The cumbersome handling of a website presenting mobile phones will be carried over to the customer's expectations regarding the handling of the mobile phones themselves. Customers that have been acquired by marketing strategies will quickly leave a site if they do not understand what they can do there.
Usability as a Prerequisite
In the meantime manufacturers and website providers are becoming aware of the fact that usability is not an add-on, but a prerequisite to exist on the market. Or, the other way round: It is a waste of effort if a costly developed product misses the customers' needs.
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