Krug's First Law of Usability: Don't Make Me Think!

Yesterday, I skimmed an article entitled "The 59 Second Rule: 3 Reasons Why Users Leave a Website". It wasn't necessarily new information, but it did provide a quick and concise overview of the main problems within websites:

1. Users don't get what they're expecting, so they leave.
2. Users don't know what to do on a website because there are too many choices, so they leave.
3. Users feel that your site isn't genuine, so they leave.

These three reasons are deadly because they all prompt visitors to think and then leave the site! If a website does any of these things, it's immediately going against Steve Krug's first and most important rule of usability: Don't Make Me Think! 

To accomplish Krug's rule, websites needs to be sleek, simple, and concise with a clear purpose. They need to have direct calls-to-action that engage the user and capture their information. 

The recent redesign of the Merus website follows these rules. The main Merus site has a fairly clean and flat design with clear call-to-action buttons right away for visitors to see (I'm also quite partial to the orange background and slideshow magic on the home page). Getting help is easy with a link at the header and footer of the site which lends to the credibility and lets users know MerusCase is there to help you answer any questions you may have.

What are some successful sites that you have seen? How do they fit in with Krug's First Law of Usability? Leave a comment!