Building Web Sites With Depth

Is the Web really the ultimate customer-empowering environment? The Web as a whole is empowering, because users have the option to click over to the competition at the slightest whim. So why do sites so often leave users feeling powerless? The Web increases accessibility and defies geographical barriers. But e-commerce sites often decrease accessibility and erect more barriers than you'd walk past in a store.

Nielsen, Jakob and Marie Tahir. WebTechniques (2001). Design>Web Design>Usability

Make It Usable

Usability is often the most neglected aspect of Web sites, yet in many respects it is the most important. If visitors can't use your site, they will leave and never become customers. The Web gives people too much freedom and too many choices; no one will suffer a poorly designed site. To make your site usable, you need to involve potential customers in its design.

Nielsen, Jakob, Kara Pernice Coyne and Marie Tahir. PC Magazine (2001). Design>Web Design>Usability

Stationary Mobility

One of the mobile Internet's greatest benefits may well come from devices that rarely move at all. Once cellular Internet connectivity becomes ubiquitous and cheap, many devices will connect to the net without wires. Take it out of the box and feed it power, and it is connected. Mobile Internet access will free us from having to connect appliances to telephone jacks and will make smart devices much easier to install. In fact, they may not need a user interface at all, as exemplified by the Japanese i-pot.

Nielsen, Jakob and Marie Tahir. Alertbox (2001). Articles>Usability>Wireless Web