Re: opinions please

Hi Patti,

Yes, some people are quite incredibly naive about how to use the net. I had
a similar learning experience when I made a site for some friends who run a
guesthouse - watching them try to use Outlook and wondering what to do with
their shiny new web site was a *real* education!

We had a discussion along these lines a while ago in the CompuServe Internet
Publishing Forum - again, about web sites made for small businesses. In that
case, some users also found problems in knowing how to use links and
complained to the site owners (a sewing machine shop).

It does seem incredible that people haven't got hold of the idea of links.
Of course, we can chant "RTFM" till blue in the face, but as an ex-technical
author and help writer, I know this just never happens.

As far as I can see, you have two choices.

1 Grit your teeth and do a less than optimum job, and just take the money
and vow never to work with them again. If it's not going to be a big source
of continuing work, this might be easiest all around.

2. Try to educate them:

2a. Ask if you can do a demonstration with some horsy people (typical users
for the site) and get the site owners to watch. See how easy it is for the
users (who are presumably not as naive) to use it, and hope that they make
some comment about how dull the site is.

2b. As another exercise, ask the owners to look at some successful sites
(equine or otherwise), and ask them to think carefully about which one is
more enticing to them.

2c. Make the comparison with print media - if they were doing a leaflet,
would they go for tiny print on cheap grey pulp paper, or a glossy affair
with an eye-catching design and some colour graphics?

HTH,

Lois Wakeman

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http://lois.co.uk
http://siteusability.com
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