This question recently came up in a conversation about a credit union website. So my simple question, in reply, is this:What if instead of looking for zany animations, a website that plays rock music, or any other of the latest hippest coolest fads…what if the “wow factor” was that your credit union’s site was accessible and easy to use?

If you’re designing a site, or managing the process, ask yourself why your users are coming to your site. Make that experience as close to perfection as possible. Businesses who pay a mind to solid user-experience – scannable content, attractive design that looks consistent across browsers, simple navigation, copywriting that sounds like a human – these are the Wow Factor.

And here’s another question that tends to come up in tandem with the former: “What do young people want in a web site?” As a young person, I can say this: We are impatient. We want what we want, and we want it now. We do not want to have to wade through all the fluff that you think is “neat” to get to the bottomline.

I hereby rename the traditional “Wow Factor” the “Neat Factor.” Because that’s what happens, users will say “oh that’s neat,” and then go back to wanting your site to just work right, please.

At the risk of losing my job to everyone else with an index finger, I thought I should share a hilarious infomercial-style site I came across the other day. It’s definitely a new kind of get-rich-quick scheme.I’ll let the sales letter do its own talking:

“If You Can Point And Click With A Mouse, You Can Make $100,000 A Year Or More As A Desktop Graphic Designer!”

It’s important to point out that this site doesn’t think that it’s joking. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to get a manservant…because I can. I just found out I’m loaded. More from the letter after the jump.

“You don’t even have to be able to draw a straight line — the computer does everything for you.

You can work from home, set your own hours, and have every job be different and challenging.

I make a six-figure income even raising three children at home!

Read this letter and see if this career suits you, too. If it does, we might even give you your first job…”

Thanks to Design Observer for pointing this one out.