On the Web, usability is a necessary condition for survival. If a website is difficult to use, people leave. If the homepage fails to clearly state what a company offers and what users can do on the site, people leave. If users get lost on a website, they leave. If a website's information is hard to read or doesn't answer users' key questions, they leave. Note a pattern here?

Clear content, simple navigation and answers to customer questions have the biggest impact on business value. Advanced technology matters much less.

Usability rules the web. Simply stated, if the customer can't find a product, then he or she will not buy it.

The more users' expectations prove right, the more they will feel in control of the system and the more they will like it.

Diversity is power on the Web. Big sites may be bigger, but smaller sites will keep scoring higher for specialized topics, both in terms of their connections with users and in terms of each visit's commercial value.

Popularity is the product of two factors: (a) how compelling material you offer, and (b) how easy it is to access it. Host free pirated movies and users will flock to the site, even if it's difficult to use.

A bad website is like a grumpy salesperson.