From her first moments in Oz, Dorothy made her way through the myriad of challenges with a single-minded mantra - "Follow the Yellow Brick Road!" Every citizen in the Land proclaimed with confidence that to get what she desired she simply needed to "Follow the Yellow Brick Road," and her behavior from that point started with a single-mindedness that was worthy of any great explorer. And, ultimately she did get her wish - she was able to return to the one place she wanted to be all along. After all, there is no place like home!

At first glance, if we condensed The Wizard of Oz down to that paragraph it would appear that everything worked out perfectly. But if we take a step back and take the time to read the whole story (or watch the movie) we quickly realize that the trials and tribulations, challenges and dangers that presented themselves along her journey made her trip anything but simple, or perfect. And that is the point behind the concept that I went off on the other day.

Dorothy (and her little dog, Toto, too) wanted to go home. To not pass Go. To not go see the Wizard. To not Follow the Yellow Brick Road! That's where the Munchkins got it wrong. And if the they ran a business website they'd be in a lot of trouble! They didn't anticipate the behavior of the user. If they had, then Glenda could have just waved her wand and sent her home.

So, business owners - take the time to anticipate and understand your target web visitors. And you don't have to buy into a lot of mumbo jumbo to do so, just ask yourself these simple questions and you'll be well on your way to understanding your customer better then they understand what they want.

1. What types of user constituents are apt to visit my site?
2. How does each group work with me in the "real world"?
3. How can I mimic those interactions online?

And as users, we shouldn't put up with being forced down long, winding roads either. So when you're on a site and can't get what you want quickly, share your needs - We don't need no stinkin' Yellow Brick Roads! We need to get home!

-- Mike