InfoCentre

Online branding is fundamentally about the direct experience that the user enjoys. Whilst much offline branding and advertising is about creating a 'feeling' about a certain product or service, usually though advertising and sponsorship, in the online environment the website IS the product or service.

Simply put, download speeds matters – it always has mattered, and it always will matter. Just visit an Internet café and watch web users in action. Before long you’ll notice how often the back button is used by those too impatient to wait for content, particularly when much of it will be available elsewhere.

In CRM, user acceptance is a huge issue. End users, who are rarely the same people who choose applications in the first place, can be extraordinarily resourceful when it comes to undermining or working around new products or implementations introduced by manager. All this means that creating applications that are efficient and enjoyable to use is imperative for both ISVs and CRM implementers.

A key concept in understanding the value of usability is often called the ‘conversion rate’. Conversion rates are usually low. What is particularly relevant in the context of usability is the huge benefits that a small change in the rate can offer.

Even the best designed sites or applications may require help text of whole help areas. Here we lay out the options and give some useful pointers.