Or, for example, if faced with a choice between software that requires a Pentium II and software that requires only a 486, the latter should be chosen. For users, cost expresses itself in terms of time and effort as well as money. If a site takes days or weeks to learn how to use, this expresses itself as a human resource cost for organizations using the site. If simply using the site takes too long, then the cost of accessing the site s resources may outweigh the value of those resources. Site design should be such that site software is easy to learn and site use is quick and efficient.
Cost also impacts the development and design aspect of the site.
Some content for example, videos or Flash animations are expensive to produce, especially when compared to plain HTML pages with graphics. Thus, if the value or usefulness to the user is the same, the less expensive alternative should be chosen. I mean the ability to host the site on different servers, and to view the site from different platforms. It should be possible within a short space of time, and with a minimum of tweaking, to move the site from one host to another. This is important because it minimizes the site s switching costs .