Taking the user into consideration when planning web application

Identifying what you want your Web database application to do is only one aspect of planning. You must also consider what your users will want from it. For example, say your goal is to gather a list of names and addresses for marketing purposes. Will customers be willing to give up that information? Your application needs to fulfill a purpose for the users as well as for yourself. Otherwise, they’ll just ignore it. Before users will be willing to give you their names and addresses, for example, they need to perceive that they will benefit from giving you this information. Here are a few examples of why users might be willing to register their names and addresses at your site:

• To receive a newsletter: To be perceived as valuable, the newsletter should cover an industry related to your products. It should offer news and spot trends — and not just serve as marketing material about your products.
• To enter a sweepstakes for a nice prize: Who can turn down a chance to win an all-expense-paid vacation to Hawaii or a brand-new SUV?
• To receive special discounts: For example, you can periodically e-mail special discount opportunities to customers.
• To be notified about new products or product upgrades when they become available: For example, customers might be interested in being notified when a software update is available for downloading.
• To get access to valuable information: For instance, you must register at The New York Times Web site to gain access to its articles online.

Now add the customer tasks to your list of tasks that you want the application to perform. For example, consider this list of tasks that you identified for setting up an online retailer:

• Provide a form for customers to fill out
• Store the customer information in a database

If you take the customer’s viewpoint into account, the list expands a bit:

• Present a description of the advantages customers receive by registering with the site
• Provide a form for customers to fill out
• Add customers’ e-mail addresses to the newsletter distribution list
• Store the customer information in a database

After you have a list of tasks that you want and tasks that your users want, you have a plan for a Web application that is worth your time to develop and worth your users’ time to use.