Publisher Summary This chapter provides a context for the discussion of the return on investment (ROI) in usability for Web applications and a brief review of the research completed on the topic of the cost benefit of usability. ROI is a measure of business effectiveness and is typically a ratio of profit to the cost of achieving the profit. The profit is often calculated using one of the sophisticated selection techniques outlined by Clare-Marie Karat. An important point to consider is that companies deciding in which areas to invest often use projected ROIs. For example, a company can invest a given amount of money in a new product A or in improving the usability of website B. An human-computer interaction (HCI) professional with an understanding of the costs and benefits of usability and the ability to describe them in business terms, such as ROI, will help executives make more effective decisions for their companies and (knowing how the evidence leans) for their customers as well. HCI professionals can help to build the knowledge base in cost justifying usability on the web by collecting cost-benefit data during their projects and sharing them as appropriate with the community.
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