Take Facebook for example. When you ask some people if Facebook is easy to use, many will answer yes, while others will say no.  I have even heard people say things like “You have to be an idiot not to know how to use Facebook.”  But when I question their knowledge of where certain things are or how to use certain applications within Facebook, the individuals are stunned by what they were missing.

Social networks, blogs, websites and search engines – each and every type of technology – have elements of both simplicity and complexity.  The goal is to design and develop them for “user best practices,” or the lowest common denominator. But we all have to keep in mind that customers are going to come to your website with different levels of knowhow, and you have to do your best to deliver the easiest approach to your technology.  However, you need to be prepared that the customer may not know as much as you had hoped.

Here’s an example:

Your website sells products and you have a great big button on the page that says, “Buy now” or “Add to cart.”  The person clicks the button, adds the item to the cart and decides to check out.  At this point you offer them an option:

“New customers click here” or “Returning customers enter name & email.”

Seems simple enough, right?  But believe it or not, you will get someone who does not want to click “New customer” because they do not want to create an account.  So you ponder the idea of taking away this option altogether, just have customers go right into the check-out process.  But what about your recurring customers?  If you take away the option, they will have to enter their information every time they make a purchase.

So what do you do?  Which way is better?  How do you make everyone happy?

Sound off and let us know what you think!  Next week we’ll add in our advice and feedback to this online customer dilemma.