Usability considerations are becoming very critical since Internet applications are becoming more mainstream and are being used by increasing number of people who are not IT-savvy.
Poor usability leads to irritation and fatigue, even if users do not articulate their feelings. It has an adverse impact on the usage experience. In an on-line shopping web site, it can lead to loss of revenues. Poor usability of business applications leads to increased help desk costs.
On the other hand, better usability enhances our usage experience and can increase productivity. A highly usable on-line shopping web site tempts repeat visits, builds customer loyalty, and increases its revenue-earning potential.
My article on this topic was published in TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION, a leading evaluator of enterprise application products. Click here to download this article (http://www.sketharaman.com/ARTICLE – Usability – v1.1.pdf).
From the time I wrote this article two years ago, usability is becoming ever more important. Watch this space for a follow-up article.
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