When is "good enough", good enough? I'd like to say never but it just ain't true. Good enough is good enough, only when it's not really important, otherwise it should be great. Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of "good enough" in the last few years in areas where it's critical because no one wanted to take the time or spend the money to make it great. I've heard a lot of folks say that this is Web 2.0 where no one expects perfection — it's constantly evolving. For the record, I'd like to say that this is not true.
You only get one shot at a first impression. In a personal situation you can try and change someone's perception of you over time and it's usually a long, hard-won fight. In a business setting, changing perception is much harder and often much more expensive. I have never looked twice at many companies because their product was poorly designed and did not work as advertised — even when in beta because by then the majority of issues should be worked out. If there was no attention paid to the user from inception chances are they won't get the religion later on. I'm a typical consumer and there are many more of me out there than an engineer who likes to tinker with products and who can be much more forgiving. The same goes for corporate materials both online and print and customer services. If there is no attention to detail, or the information is poorly organized, written and designed, I can only guess at the mess behind the curtains.
I know this may sound harsh but if a company is serious about building a solid business then they owe it to themselves and their investors to do it right — the first time around.
You only get one shot at a first impression. In a personal situation you can try and change someone's perception of you over time and it's usually a long, hard-won fight. In a business setting, changing perception is much harder and often much more expensive. I have never looked twice at many companies because their product was poorly designed and did not work as advertised — even when in beta because by then the majority of issues should be worked out. If there was no attention paid to the user from inception chances are they won't get the religion later on. I'm a typical consumer and there are many more of me out there than an engineer who likes to tinker with products and who can be much more forgiving. The same goes for corporate materials both online and print and customer services. If there is no attention to detail, or the information is poorly organized, written and designed, I can only guess at the mess behind the curtains.
I know this may sound harsh but if a company is serious about building a solid business then they owe it to themselves and their investors to do it right — the first time around.
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