Websites that Rock
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By watching that movie, we were taken from a movie theater in Cleveland to a concert in New York City. I almost clapped after one set but luckily I became aware that I was in the theater before my hands touched. What surprised me most was how my experience deeply changed some of my views. Let me start by saying I was never a huge Mick Jagger or Keith Richards fan, although I did like their music. I admit to a morbid fascination with how they are aging, and how bad skin can hang on faces. That said, I started watching this movie only with the expectation of hearing some good music, exploring some memories and looking for signs of youthful faces behind the wrinkles.
But instead, the power of those 60ish-year-old men's performance blew me away, particularly Mick Jagger. Afterward, my daughter and I tried to think if there was any other man of that age that would appeal so strongly to both of us. It wasn't his looks, but his magnetism. It wasn't his skinny body, it was his movements. It wasn't his songs, it was his passion.
Later, I started connecting some dots between this experience in the theater and experiences people have with a website. Oddly enough, it was not a huge stretch. When a visitor comes to your website they have expectations. Its looks, performance and delivery should meet all expectations. If my expectations are met I will happily click to the next site. But, what if my expectations are blown away? What would my reaction be if you not only provided what I expect, but also took me to a new level of experiences? How would I react and how would it benefit the company that the site promotes. First of all, if a site was that good, I would tell everyone I know (viral marketing). My time spent on the site would increase (improved messaging). I would be more inclined to purchase the services or products that company offered (increased sales). And of course, I would remember the company that gave me that experience (brand recognition). Need I go on?
These days, websites are increasingly conforming to standardized templates, as more and more of them are using content management systems. These templated websites can look as good as their competition and perform as well as expected, but they are not going to make your company stand out from the pack in a world where the competition is just one click away. In a medium that is constantly improving, it's important to create an experience that will make your audience applaud.
