Home page usability and credibility

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of the research was to compare web site designs used by the fastest growing companies in the USA to the largest companies in the USA and to benchmark those designs against best practices as defined by a leading consultant in the industry.Design/methodology/approachThis approach surveyed the web site designs by each group of companies against a set of best practices and developed summary data about the observations.FindingsThe largest companies in the USA used designs that are more consistent with the best practices as defined by a leading consultant in the industry.Research limitations/implicationsThe fastest growing companies did not use best practices in their web site design and still maintained very rapid growth as evidenced by their national rankings. A poorly executed design was less of a detractor to the company's success than anticipated. Web site design may have a role (positive or negative) in the company's growth rate but further research is required to understand the scope and nature of the role.Practical implicationsThe reason why a company maintains a rapid growth rate may be dependent on numerous factors and as such, a comprehensive evaluation of why a company sustains a rapid growth rate should be undertaken. The role of the web site in the company's success should be evaluated in more depth.Originality/valueThis paper has value for web site designers, entrepreneurs, IT management, IT consultants, and large company personnel involved with web site design.