• Increasing traffic. Despite the obvious benefits a satisfied customer brings to a website, they also expand the exposure of a website through  'word-of-mouth' referrals to potential buyers.

• Increasing 'conversion rates', (i.e. how many potential customers become customers). The conversion rate is a driving force for new business - whether that is a user requesting information, subscribing to a newsletter, or purchasing something. For e-commerce websites, raising the conversion rate by 1% can add considerable returns.

• Protecting market-share. A poor customer experience can cause a customer to abandon a site permanently. That customer may go even further and advise people not to use it. This can prove costly when competitors are only a mouse click away. Usability can help to ensure customers are satisfied and that they have a pleasant experience when using the website. This results in added revenue from customer retention.

• Competitive advantage. Many leading corporations such as IBM, Apple Computer and Microsoft are incorporating usability into their product development cycles. They see this as a competitive advantage. "In our first year we didn't spend a single dollar on advertising, but we grew real big just on word of mouth. The best dollars spent are those we use to improve the customer experience." Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com.