John C. Dvorak wrote a great PC magazine article about web site entropy and website usability recently. In the article, Dvorak illustrates his theory to "keep doing what works." It's amazing how often I hear about a company that develops a great website, maybe even knows why they are doing great, and their first inclination is to change it.
There is something about the internet that encourages constant change. Granted this is preferred over stasis, but change for the sake of change is not always good. If people enjoy your site, do not change the things they value.
Dvorak also mentions something at the end of his article that I think needs more illumination is that simple is better than complex most of the time.
Why is Google one of the most popular sites? Take a look. Seriously, go to the site and don't search; just look at it. So much white space, so simple.
Compared to Google though, try out Yahoo or MSN. Try using one of these the next time you need to actually do something. They try to be everything to everyone and hence are doomed to be nothing to everyone (hyperbole, of course, since these two aren't hurting, but the theory remains sound).
The point is not to dumb-down everything; it's just to 1) do what you do really well and 2) don't worry about a whole lot else unless your audience wants it. When people (and more importantly, companies) start to think of their website as a tool, things will start to improve. If your website is a means rather than an end, you are one step ahead.
DJ Francis writes at http://OnlineMarketerBlog.com - drawing upon over 7 years of experience in strategic communications, online marketing, social media, advertising, and the relationships inherent in a Web 2.0 world.
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