Every day, well-funded think-tanks and scientific research firms conduct tests of hypotheses that are no more than educated guesses. There is little skepticism about this process, and for good reason: Our modern society benefits in countless ways from our culture of testing. So why is it that the same faith in this process is not readily applied to internet marketing and website usability?

For most of the history of this new and critical marketing channel, web designers and creative agencies have put forth a vision of what a company’s web presence should be, based largely on hubris. Because of this, businesses have paid dearly — not just for the price tag of the new website, but for the lack of performance that follows the launch of the site. A business cannot benefit from a website that does not effectively transform visitors into customers. We live in a time of a great and emerging wisdom concerning the unique challenges of website usability and online marketing.