Trade Association Ranks Drivers of Web Site Usage
A new study from the Online Publishers Association on user experience ranked "entertains, absorbs me" as the No. 1 driver of Web site usage.Statements like "Looks out for people like me," "Regular part of my life," "My personal timeout," "A credible, safe place" and "Connects me with others" ranked second through sixth as top online usage drivers.
The seventh through 12th drivers, in descending order, were statements like "Touches me and expands my views," "Makes me smarter," "Turned on by ads," "Easy to use," "Helps and improves me" and "Worth saving and sharing."
The study, conducted with Northwestern University's Media Management Center, identified 22 experiences that describe and define how people interact with and relate to interactive media. The study also gauged how each of these experiences affects site usage.
A small sample size of 65 Internet users nationwide was used for this study. The results will be presented starting today in San Francisco at the trade association's annual eight-day "Eyes on the Internet Tour."
Several of the user experiences cited in the study are common to both print and interactive media. But some experiences are unique to the Internet, based on the statements: "Entertains and absorbs me," "Connects me with others," "Tailored for me," "Guides me to other media," "A way for me to fill my time," "My guilty pleasure" and "Tries to persuade me."
Two statements are evidence of experiences common to both print and online: "Annoyed by the ads" and "Turned on by the ads."
Mickey Alam Khan covers Internet marketing campaigns and e-commerce, agency news as well as circulation for DM News and DMNews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
