Looks like Verisign ought to hire a usability expert and revise their site. The product names are confusing. Where do you go to get a certificate? Is a ServerID the same thing as an SSL certificate? All the tutorial and reference material on secure web servers refers to SSL certificates. Could the marketing department at Verisign be so stupid that they decide to call an "SSL certificate" a "Server ID"? I must say, I am very confused. Now, the options to me include links with these labels: Buy, Try, Guide, Price, Tour, Renew. Which one do I click on for more information? Trial and error shows that Try, Guide, and Tour just show me a form that wants all kinds of personal information. I'm sorry, but asking for this kind of information is a little premature. I fill out a form for the Guide, entering completely fictional information. What I get is just marketing speak. Their web team and marketing team need to read the book Don't Make Me Think, then go back and rewrite all that stuff.
Talk about making a potential customer feel uncomfortable! I have a feeling that if Verisign weren't so dominant in the market for SSL certificates, they would be more customer-friendly. What arrogance!
Posted by Doug Sauder at April 22, 2002 11:01 AM