Read a book on website usability.
An IR website that suffers from poor usability is simply a poor IR website. A poor IR website creates a bad impression of your company.

And that's why usability is something you need to care about. Usability refers to the myriad variables that can make a site easy or difficult for people to use. Much of it is simply common sense and good communication. Some of it is more technical in nature and requires that you educate yourself on the subject

Don't worry though, there's no correlation between technical expertise and common sense. So you don't need to become an engineer to know the difference between good and bad usability.

By being aware of the main usability principles, you can make a vast difference to the effectiveness of your site.

We are happy to recommend two excellent resources on usability. The first is a quick and easy read and the second is more comprehensive but equally accessible as the first.

1. Don't Make Me Think, a Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug packs a lot of good advice into just under 200 pages. It's a leisurely, non-technical read that you can get through over a weekend or on a return international flight. You'll gain insights such as why good website design emulates a department store layout, and how driving in Los Angeles can teach you to design better websites.

2. Designing Web Usability, The Practice of Simplicity by Jakob Nielsen is a 400-page treasure trove of good advice for making websites easier for people to use. If you get this well-written and liberally illustrated book, you really won't need anything or anyone to tell you how to make your website better than it is.