But aren't we just making it too easy?

Humans are a lazy bunch. Always looking for ways in which to make things easy & spend less effort doing stuff. Anyone would think we are designed that way, that we're originated from a species that had limited food supplies and tried to preserve what energy reserves it had for procreation and finding more food (this sounds a little too much like my brother, so I'll move on swiftly)

If you read Steve Krug's book Don't Make Me Think you could forgiven for thinking that man is incredibly lazy online, for example:
1. He shuts down websites that don't communicate what they're about instantly
2. He ignores huge amounts of lovely written copy (probably written by a lovely copywriter)
3. He will stop halfway into the buying process if its not immediately clear what button to press

I mean... is this the action of an amazingly evolved creature? Is this what a clever person really does? They revert to the laziest action they can to preserve their strength for... oh well, you know what I mean!

Errrrr... yes.

It is actually... and you should all jolly well go and read his book straight away, although I can't remember if he mentions procreation.
(In fact, when I talk to clients about usability I often take them a copy to keep - with my contact details in the cover of course!)

However, if you take my 3rd example of someone stopping halfway into the buying process if the obvious is not entirely..... .. obvious... then surely the easiest thing to do is give them what they want straight away and wait by the phone (in a lovely air-conditioned call centre of course) for them to ring you instead?

Well, this is exactly what Scottish Widows do... and those clever people at Bowen Craggs notice this the other day (I bet they don't shut down websites straight away, ignore lovely copywriters or other silly stuff)
http://www.bowencraggs.com/best-practice/tips/758