Usability Is Crucial for the Small Guy

by John S. Rhodes

Barriers to entering a market often mean that large organizations and corporations monopolize that market. The Web is different in that it allows any person to publish their thoughts, enter a market, or start a new endeavor. This is good news for the small guy – the Web appears to be a great equalizer.

While I am all for the ease of access and ease of publishing, there is a pitfall. The problem can be summed up this way. When people can do something too easily, they usually do it with too much haste and too little planning. For the small guy on the net, this can translate to a production of shabby Web pages. So while barriers to entry are certainly bad, they point out that a lack of planning and effort lead to poor Web sites.

There are social and economic problems associated with poorly constructed Web sites. I often, but not always, see that smaller Web sites put themselves at risk of Web class stratification. That is, small Web sites unnecessarily end up at the bottom of the Internet heap. Problems can sink a small Web site, whereas large institutions and companies can weather the storm. If the small guy on the Web too rapidly puts together pages, the result can be catastrophic. Poor content development and poor design can occur, forcing the little guy's Web site into the sewer.

For the small company on the Web, the economic costs are devastating. If a site is not designed with usability in mind, people will be frustrated with the site. People that are frustrated don't bookmark, don't buy, don't revisit, and won't tell other people about the site. While the small guy should be able to compete, poor usability can prevent success.

Large Web sites are spending a lot of time perfecting their content and design. Most pay attention to usability, in one way or another. Or, they are so big with so many viewers that they don't care. By itself this is not critical, but in relation to the lack of usability work done by small sites, it does become critical. Here is something to chew on. For every page of junk page produced by the small guy, ZDNET, CNET, USA Today, etc. are producing something better. The content void will be filled by those with power unless the small guy utilizes the weapons of web site improvement.

The weapons are the following: employ usability practices like crazy, develop good content, and plan ahead. It also helps to focus on niche markets and aim for a high level of personalization (e.g., one-to-one marketing) and customer service. Do things like the big guys, such as accepting credit cards. Be nimble, respond quickly to customers, and go beyond their expectations. The small guy on the Web can win.

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