-Work processes and workflow to be streamlined -Costs to be reduced or revenue generated -Desired behavior to be predicted and measured -Competitive differentiation to be defined and tracked -Service levels to be established -Brand to be built through a targeted, positive user experience

Simply stated, a well-designed, user-centric web site reflects priorities of business and represents business model of company or organization.

Usability. It's part of big picture.

For systems integrators and Internet architects, challenge is to integrate usability into an e-commerce strategy and subsequently into a project lifecycle, so that it becomes an integral part of overall planning, design, development, testing, and launch. This is easier said than done. When systems integrators claim to conduct "usability testing," it's safe to assume that this is a distinctively separate activity, performed generally at END of project. While this is better than nothing, of course, it is but not optimal approach, and it will offer only limited benefits to overall product.

User requirements need to be assessed early in analysis stage of an e-commerce initiative, so that usability is considered throughout project lifecycle. Issues like impact on workflow, expectations in navigation, "logical and intuitive" site design and content management, and behavior we want to enable or expectations we need to design to are huge considerations. This is combined with technical architecture, transactional requirements, and performance expectations, and is synthesized -- exploited -- to achieve maximum user benefit in areas such as user profiling and personalization, dynamic content assembly, and interactivity.

Certainly, usability should never "dumb down" requirements to lowest common denominator in an attempt to satisfy "every user." On contrary, usability should no longer be considered as a way to prevent potential problems, but rather, an approach that realizes greater possibilities. Usability should challenge and push envelope equally as hard as technical, business, and creative requirements. Only then do we break through with an innovative, engaging, clever, and effective web site.

Business Model. That's bottom line.

Creating a compelling user experience has a direct tie to market competitiveness. It's fair to say that usability should, in all cases, support, augment, and enable realization of business model. Happy users aren't true objective, although certainly, it's a desirable by-product. Rather, realized business goals through targeted usability objectives make usability a straightforward business case.

If you're updating content, on other hand, you never can do THAT too much. Your only limitation is how often you have time to add new content to your site. For instance, I normally add new content on my newest site every two weeks. Each time I release an article for reprint, I announce it in "What's New" list on my home page, and post article itself in article directory.

4. Be creative.

When thinking of new ways to lure visitors into your site, possibilities are endless. For example, look at e-Business Moms < http://www.e-BusinessMoms.com >. Bina, Webmaster, describes her home page lead-ins as if they're areas of her site, but links ACTUALLY lead to articles.

When visitors click on that initial link, they want to learn more about topic article covers. They end up reading (or at least skimming) article, subconsciously starting to establish Bina as an expert in her field, and perhaps then seeking out MORE of her articles to read. Jackpot!

5. Eliminate clutter and distractions on home page.

I don't know how many times a day I go to a site that sounds interesting, but ends up being a hideous conglomeration of disorganized links, cramped advertisements, and loud colors that my eyes STILL see after I'm long gone from page.

Ouch! What a way to send your visitors hightailing it.

Giving your visitors too many options means that they're leaving on first page. Loud colors that make your visitors' heads bleed mean that they're leaving BEFORE page finishes loading.

Look again at < http://www.e-BusinessMoms.com >.

The site is a nice soothing white and blue, with brighter colors used sparingly. There's absolutely no clutter, and text and graphics are engaging -- not frightening. All in all, Bina sets a wonderful example of a site that presents an inviting atmosphere for increased visitor retention.