What businesses must understand is that vague, non-engaging interfaces are a death sentence because they alienate potential readers, members, or customers rather than reassuring them that they've come to the right place. Entertainment sites can work the same way. Newspapers carry many stories but call the reader's attention to the most important ones. Content sites can work the same way. Stores sell many products, but special displays on featured products arrest shoppers' attention as they enter.
Commercial sites can work the same way.
Form and Function Effective interfaces not only lead visitors to the content but also underscore its meaning, just as chapter divisions underscore the meaning of a book's content. Without usable, intuitive interfaces, Web sites might as well offer no content at all-because no visitor will be able to find it. At their most basic level, Web interfaces include navigational elements such as menu bars, feedback mechanisms such as interactive forms and buttons, and components that guide the visitor's interaction with the site such as magnifying glass icons and left or right arrows. Tired interfaces offer exhausted metaphors such as the ubiquitous folder tab and the heinous beveled push-button. The Mary Quant site is a study in quick visitor orientation and structurally grounded design.