According to the Founder and CEO of the largest usability consultancy, Human Factors International, Inc. (HFI), usability is no longer enough as a measure of a successful Web site. Dr. Eric Schaffer states that “We’re nearing the end of the time when usability is a key differentiator. Websites must now be designed for Persuasion, Emotion, & Trust (PET) in order to stay ahead.” He believes that companies and their sites whether it’s an e-commerce, informational, or a transactional site, need to influence and deepen their interactions with online customers through persuasion, emotion, and trust.

Understanding how and why people make online decisions that lead to conversion, and the subtle motivators and emotional triggers that influence how they react to website messages and content, is vital to maximizing the success of a site.

Traditional usability practices focus on creating efficient sites that are simple and easy to use. Thus, usability deals with the “can do” aspect of design (i.e., can users find information, understand content, or complete a task?). But just because a site is easy to use doesn’t mean it will engage consumers and meet business goals.

While he still advocates and believes a foundation of good usability is necessary, he believes going beyond “can do” to optimize the values of persuasion, emotion, and trust, ultimately influencing what users will do on a website and this ultimately helps companies to achieve their online objectives whether it’s buying a product or something else.