Elements of Web Experience and the New-Age Virtual Consumers

Web user experience is the new and most powerful tool of marketing in the ecommerce age. With buyers and sellers both using virtual grounds to make the exchanges, marketing goes virtual too. Since we are dealing here with technology friendly customers, it all the more complicates the process of influencing them.

What is web user experience?
Web user experience is the perceived value of your company aka online store as a result of the exposure to your web presence (which includes banner ads, search engine ranking, your presence on other platforms – social media/ blog/ etc. along with your website).

What makes web user experience?

Functionality:
If we compare an online store to a physical store, functionality of the store would mean how does your customer locate, choose, pick and purchase what they need (out of your products range). If it is easy for them to shop on your store/ online store, then your store gets full marks on functionality and it rates high in user experience. Functionality includes, usability, interaction channel, payment convenience, site speed, site accessibility.

Psychology:
In a situation where there are many more stores selling the same products on the same price and same quality, there comes one more area which can be taken advantage of, or we can say that virtual stores has one more area to prove itself, it is called genuineness. If your website interacts with the psyche of your customers and instills trusts, you are a winner. Positive psychological influences can be accomplished by achieving data security, shipping policies and return policies.

Content:
When we speak of content, we speak of the aesthetic and visual side of website. The design, feel and the semblance of your website, helps create a good user experience. Design is a part of user experience but not the only thing that matters. Content includes design, style, communication and various methods of marketing. So make sure that you’re putting enough thought into it.

Web user experience is a combination of all the above mentioned factors and goes beyond the traditional marketing mix. All these factors are handled/ managed by designers and developers. And that’s why we say it is these warriors that fight the battle of user attention for the companies operating online.