Web usability and conventions why are they important?

Let me first start with a story, there have been many great teachers that taught in stories, I don’t put myself on their level I only aim to imitate.

My Dad is, tough as nails and been through hell and back, I respect him very much, he’s taught me many things. This particular hot summer day I’m not sure showing me that web conventions are important was one of those things.

My Father had just moved into a new home, I helped him bring his moving truck back to the rental office.  As anyone who has used a moving truck knows you have to fill the tank before you return it.  So on the way there we stopped to get diesel fuel, and like always, we looked for the green handled pump, filled up, paid for the fuel and left.

After driving about 1/2 a mile the truck started to run funny and spew white smoke, this didn’t look good.  Before I go any further I should mention that he is an over the road trucker, and has had diesel vehicles for as long as I can remember. If you’re wise you’ve figured out what happened, we filled the tank with regular unleaded gasoline, NOT diesel, how could this be? we filled up with the green handled pump, that has been diesel for as long as any of us can remember.

It turns out BP Gas Stations decided their branding colors (green) were more important than sticking to common established gas station conventions. Since then I’ve kept a mental log and nearly all other gas stations practice this green for diesel convention, except BP. 

In the end, we drained 50+Gallons of gasoline into the dirt and had to refill again with diesel.

Lets bring it back to the web

As the internet has matured so have the users. The internet generation has come to expect certain things, such as:

  • If it’s underlined, it’s a link, I can click it.
  • Main navigation is across the top.
  • Secondary navigation is down the side.
  • Breadcrumbs show me where I am and how I got there.
  • Contact is usually the last global nav option.
  • External site links open a new window.


True, making web conventions mistakes might not cost you a tank of gas, but it might cost you business and over all customer satisfaction.

If you’re not sure your website conforms to standard conventions we’ll give your website  a once over for free with our Free Website Evaluation program.


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