Online shops need to extend their focus beyond usability to deliver an experience that leaves shoppers feeling positive.
This is according to Carola Weller, a senior consultant for GfK SirValUse, a Germany-based marketing research company.
Weller says online customers do not simply want to buy a product; they also want to have a good experience that inspires them. She argues this is why online shops have changed the ways they showcase their products.
For example, says Weller, Amazon offers additional context with user ratings and reviews, while eBay offers pages with special deals.
According to Weller, product development over the next few years is also going to change. She predicts that the views of users will be taken into account earlier on in the development phase.
Weller says that, while testing products with users at the end of the development cycle is becoming more acceptable, taking users' opinions into account from the start is still rare. However, she argues that this is important and this sort of collaboration will become more common in the future.
Weller is one of the speakers at the upcoming UX Masterclass, a biannual user experience class hosted by the UXalliance. The class addresses topics around creating products that deliver a positive user experience.
Weller will look at the history and development of user experience as well as some future developments in user experience research and evaluation. She will address the changes in the meaning of usability from the early stages to the present. She will also discuss new research methods and ways to demonstrate the direct impact that user experience has on branding and sales.
The UX Masterclass will take place at the Rosebank Hyatt Regency, in Johannesburg, on 30 March. Seats cost R3 000 per delegate, with a group discount available for three or more delegates at R2 500 per seat. For registrations, click here, or e-mail Helga Letowt-Vorbek at helga@mantaray.co.za.
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