When buying a new software app, checking the price is sometimes the extent of our "cost analysis"... i.e. How much is this really costing me? Unfortunately, the dollars and cents often end up being just the tip of the iceberg.

Instead, usability or rather the lack of usability, is a hidden cost that will vastly exceed what you paid for the software with cash or credit! Imagine having two competing software apps that have the same basic features and are both priced at $100.

Let's call them "App Red" and "App Blue". App Red has a poorly defined interface. It can be customized as needed using configuration files and code edits. App Blue allows for customization too, but it provides tools to do so and avoids forcing users to become coders.

As a result, App Red requires about 15 hours of time for an average user to customize it. App Blue can complete the same in 2 hours.

If you're setting up App Red for your employer, you can easily determine how much more it costs because of usability. It is 13 extra hours x your hourly wage! You've doubled, tripled, or perhaps even quadrupled the total cost of selecting App Red because of its techie UI.

Your time is the most valuable resource you have, even when you don't assign a cash value to it. There is always something else you could be doing that you miss out on. The next time you are comparing an app, or using one you already own, take into consideration the value of time lost due to poor usability.

All else being equal, choose software like App Blue to stay out of the red!