Organize  49 

Tip: Think user-friendly 

Usability is becoming recognized as the most important factor in the success of Web sites. 

A site can look sleek and employ sophisticated technology, but if it s not user-friendly, 

people will avoid it. The converse is also true: a site can be simple, but it s likely to be 

well-received if it makes information easy to find and understand. 

User-friendly success stories 

IBM makes site easier to nagivate, increases sales 

 The best result of the relaunch is that the IBM Web site is much easier to 

navigate...The company says in the month after the re-launch, traffic to the Shop 

IBM online store increased 120 percent, and sales went up 400 percent.   

Jim Battey,  IBM's Redesign Results In A Kinder, Simpler Web Site  

InfoWorld: www.infoworld.com/cgi-

bin/displayStat.pl?/pageone/opinions/hotsites/hotextra990419.htm 

Schwab makes site easier to use, gains 1/3 more customers 

 The redesign is mainly an attempt to make the interface easier to use...Officials said 

the focus has been on improving usability and simplifying navigation...With 6 

million active accounts, Schwab last week disclosed that customer assets were up 36 

percent for the year.  

Jeffrey Schwartz,  Schwab Redesign Stresses Usability  

Internet Week: www.internetwk.com/shared/printableArticle?doc_id=INW19990520S0006 

Structuring site content is the first step in making a Web site user-friendly. In this and 

subsequent steps in the site-building process, strive to make the site easy for people to use.  

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