:: Driving an Experience in a Non-Linear Medium

It is often suggested by Usability professionals that you cannot control who visits your website, and that you cannot force them to have an experience that they did not come to the website to have. It is true that, as a web designer, it is important to design an experience that anticipates and satisfies the informational needs and tasks of end-users, but that does not prevent you from also designing an experience that satisfies the objectives of the business.

Target an Audience that will be Receptive to Your Brand
You can increase the likelihood that a specific population of people visit your website. Doing so, requires a multi-channel marketing strategy that begins by identifying where your target audience spends most of their time. To find out, recruit and interview representative samples of this population. Piece together their daily routines and habits. Understand what TV programs they watch, periodicals they read, and websites they visit. These resources become possible platforms for smart website marketing and sponsorships. Use cross-channel marketing tactics to drive the right traffic to your website.

Create Website Pathways that Satisfy Business Objectives
The second suggestion by "user-advocates," claims that you cannot, and should not, control what end-users do on a website because of the non-linear nature of the web. The fallacy and danger of such statements lies in the premise that business objectives and user objectives are mutually exclusive. I propose that business objectives are generally met when end-user objectives are met. A healthy business is dependent on satisfied customers. Understanding what customers are coming to the website to do enables web designers to create pathways for customers to satisfy their needs. Prioritize navigational elements and elevate contextual links accordingly.

Jonathan Lupo VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab