Good is good enough.

First, what does that mean?  To me, it means perfection isn’t possible so why try.  I can’t control everything and I don’t have the time or money to even try to pursue it. So good is good enough.

In the web world, I hear this a lot. It could be the design, the copy, the functionality, anything…

Is it good?  Yes!  Is it good enough?  Well….

10 years ago (maybe even 5 years ago), having a web site was enough.

Today?  Not a chance.   In my business, the number of amazing designers/developers is staggering.  The quality of the sites produced now makes sites just a couple years old look out-dated and hard to use.  With the ability to out-source to overseas firms that charge less than half the going rate, your product / service can not longer be ‘good enough’.

It better be outstanding.

The ease of getting a web site combined with the power of search engines has made your competitors just a search and click away.  Whether you’re selling artwork, consulting services, web applications, anything…your site better stand above your competitors.

Good IS NOT enough when it comes to web sites (unless your Craigslist…).

It starts with appearance.  We can all say we are not that superficial, but we’re lying to ourselves. Say you’re looking for a consultant to help you with your storage and backup needs.  You find a couple in your area through a web search and are now looking at their sites.  Assuming you don’t have prior knowledge about any of the consultants, I would bet a lot of money that your initial choice will be the site that  is easy to navigate, answers your most common questions quickly and most importantly, has a well-organized and professional design.

Does the quality of the site mean the Consultant will be the best?  Not at all.  But it does suggest a few things.

• They care about their image
• They spent the money to have a site that was professional and easy to use
• They took the time to research their target audience
• They care about the people they serve

They decided good was not good enough.

Now I know most of us (me included) don’t always have the time or money go beyond ‘good enough’.  So the question is…

Is it better to put something out there (there being the internet) that is just good or is it better to wait until you have the time and money to do it right?

I think it comes down to a few things.

• What your competitors are doing
• What your price point is
• What your customers need and expect

If the site isn’t meeting the needs and expectations of your customers, they aren’t coming back or giving you a second look.  If your price point suggest Ferrari but your site looks Yugo, well….  If your competitors have sites that make yours look like it was done by a 15 year old using FrontPage, then you have problems.

It’s better to have a web site with one great page then 10 crappy ones.  It’s better to send one quality email a month than 6 crappy ones.  It’s better to sell one great product than a bunch of useless junk.

Perfection is impossible, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive for it.

Good is not good enough.

on Usability

If you have to think about how to find something on your own web site, imagine what your visitors go through. Nothing drives potential customers away faster than a site that is difficult to use.

Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug is a great book on usability. If you’re thinking about creating a new web site or redesigning your current web site, buy this book.

You should not leave usability entirely in the hands of your designer. Conversely, you might learn the reasons why your designer includes elements that don’t make any sense to you.

Don’t Make Me Think is about helping your visitors take the next step without having to think about it.

on Content

It doesn’t matter how user-friendly your site is if the content is boring, stale and hard to read. Content is the most important part of any web site. It is what sells your products and services. The best designed site in the world will fail if your users can’t understand what you’re trying to tell them.

Content Strategy for the Web by Kristina Halvorson is a short book on how to create and keep your content fresh and inspiring.

Great content is not easy. Even more difficult is keeping that great content flowing. Kristina’s book can help you create a content strategy that keeps your site and business ahead of your competitors.

Don’t be one of those companies that thinks of content as an after-thought that once it is done, it is done…

Additional Resource:
Why You Need A Content Strategiest

If you’re designing web apps or having someone design one for you, you should read this book. I have never read a book twice, never. This one will be the first.

Before I reread this one though, I’ll be reading Robert’s follow-up, Designing the Moment.

“Content precedes design. Design in the absence of content is not design, it’s decoration.”

I`ve been involved with a number of projects where the design was created in the absense of content.  Inevitably, when content starts getting added, it breaks the design.

My tag line says, “Bringing Together Function and Form”.  Which is really saying the same thing that Jeffrey says.

Form without function is decoration.