We were presenting to a prospective client about the merits of usability. His company had several web applications which were being marketed online. In the middle of the discussion, he asked 'well, what about marketing? can you help me promote new products?' Whats that got to do with usability?

Well, its all related because the end objective is giving the user / website visitor appropriate information. Structuring information also means deciding which users should get to see what advertisements on your site. How large should the ads be? What's the right kind of placement?

What kind of slogan would attract? How do you ensure the user remains on the website long enough to read the promos?

The right mix of marketing communication and usability will ensure your website visitors are 'directed' towards promotional messages without making them react negatively. Appropriate placement of info, choosing the correct color palette, the right kind of visual effect; all of these have an angle of usability built into them. Designing forms which capture relevant info without seeming too tedious for the user is a similar art.

At the end of the day, its all about designing for the user, by the user's perspective and of the user's needs.